Handbook of Surface and Nanometrology, 2nd edn., by David J. Whitehouse

Nuclear medicine (NM) is one of the emerging fields of nuclear physics. This research area is challenging due to the medical trials required before the final implementation of the applications. This study involves various applications of radioactive materials employed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this technique, the first step is to inject the radio tracers into the patient’s body. In the next step, the injected radio tracers undergo radioactive decay and generate gamma rays. Finally, the gamma rays produced are investigated using imaging methodologies like positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The key advantage of these techniques is that for some diseases they give early indication as compared to other available diagnostic tests. This book focuses on the important features of nuclear medicine research and development along with its clinical applications. The book has eight chapters. The first chapter gives an introduction of the subject which elaborates about the various aspects of the nuclear medicine field, its importance and the classification of the area of research. Chapter 2 discusses the quantitative aspects of radio-nuclides production along with physics and acceleration principles of cyclotron. Chapter 3 covers positron physics and addresses some of the applications of positron. Here, the important topics about the interaction of positron with the matter and the fundamentals of the experimental techniques are briefly covered. Chapter 4 entitled ‘Radiopharmaceuticals: development and main applications’ gives an overview of radiopharmaceuticals related with nuclear medicine and PET. Further, it elaborates about the advances in radiopharmaceutical developments and some new trends in this technology. Chapter 5 is quite useful and interesting, in that it focuses on the radiation detectors and image formation. It contains three sections, the first section describes the methods and measurements in nuclear medicine, the second section gives basic properties of the image detection system and the last section describes the different methods of image production in nuclear medicine. Here, the basic concepts of particle detection, signal acquisition electronics, various properties of image detection systems and methods of image production employed in nuclear medicine like gamma camera, SPECT and PET are the valuable topics covered. Chapter 6 entitled ‘Imaging methodologies’, which is one of the biggest chapters of the book, outlines the topics like the physical aspects of NM functional imaging, sources of degradation in NM imaging methods, image processing, construction, and registration, advance methods in nuclear oncology and central nervous system (CNS): physiological models and clinical applications. Most of the topics discussed here are supported by mathematical equations and graphical figures. Chapter 7 entitled ‘System in nuclear medicine’ covers the theory of biological systems, some basic concepts in biology and physiology, mathematical modelling and analysis of biological systems, tracer kinetic modelling, compartmental models, data analysis and models in PET studies. The last chapter that mainly focuses on the ‘Dosimetry and Biological effects of radiation’ covers the interaction of radiation with matter for the case of photon and electron, radiation dosimetry and protection quantities, energy degradation in matter, MC simulation, physics of biological effects of radiation and different models of cellular survival in ionisation. The text is simple and is in easily readable format. At the end of each chapter extensive numbers of references are provided for further guidance of the reader. Overall, the book – aimed at graduate students and researchers of radiation physics and oncology – provides invaluable scientific knowledge of nuclear medicine physics. It offers them a brief description of radiation interaction with matter, radiopharmaceuticals, technical concepts related with radiation detection, instrumentation, image processing and modelling as well as dosimetry. However, for a better understanding of the subject, readers should have background of mathematics and radiation physics, basics of biology as well as modelling and simulation.