Radiopharmaceuticals and Nuclear Medicine

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine, including definitions and processes relevant to the subject.

Radiopharmaceuticals

Agents containing a radionuclide used for diagnosis or therapy.

Gamma rays

High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by radionuclides.

In vivo procedure

Imaging procedure resulting in digital images of the distribution of a radiopharmaceutical.

In vitro procedure

A method to measure the amount of radioactivity present in biological samples.

Therapy

Administration of large amounts of radiopharmaceuticals for therapeutic effects.

Radioisotopes

Radioactive isotopes that emit detectable radiation for medical use.

Decay

The process by which a radioactive isotope transforms into another element or isotope.

Half-life

The time required for half of a radioactive sample to decay.

Iodine isotopes

Stable and radioactive forms of iodine used in medical imaging and therapy.

Tc-99m

A widely used radiopharmaceutical with a half-life of 6.01 hours.

PET scan

Positron Emission Tomography; a diagnostic tool that utilizes positron emitters.

F-18 FDG

Fluorodeoxyglucose, a radiopharmaceutical used in PET scans.

Generator systems

Devices that use parent radionuclides to produce short-lived daughter isotopes.

Transient equilibrium

A situation where the half-life of a parent is greater than that of the daughter radionuclide.

Beta emitters

Radioisotopes that emit beta particles during radioactive decay.

Positron emitters

Radionuclides that emit positrons, often used in PET imaging.

Cyclotron

A type of particle accelerator used to produce radionuclides.

Nuclear fission

The process by which heavy atomic nuclei split into lighter nuclei, releasing energy.

Radionuclide production methods

Techniques such as nuclear reactors and cyclotrons used to generate radon isotopes.

Biodistribution

The distribution of radiopharmaceuticals within the body over time.