PET scans

A special type of radioactive tracer that uses a short life beta plus source.

• When it decays it produces positrons which are antimatter

• Matter (the electrons from an atom inside the body) and anti matter collide and all the mass is converted to energy. E = mc²

• This is given out in the form of two gamma rays in opposite directions called annihilation

• This means that the position of the collision can be identified

• An image can be built up by multiple rings of annihilation, detected by a ring of gamma cameras