Nuclear medicine

The nuclear medicine physics group has an active and wide-ranging research and development portfolio. It works in conjunction with both the department of nuclear medicine and also with other groups in SUHT and the University of Southampton, who wish to carry out research and development projects involving radionuclides. It has also developed links with other hospitals and institutions elsewhere in the UK and throughout the world.

The emphasis of the group’s research and development work over a number of years has been the development and application of techniques for quantifying nuclear medicine images. This interest has included the synergistic combination of other modality imaging with radionuclide data and the use of image simulation to help develop and validate methods of analysis. Follow the links below to find out more about the work.

Three dimensional imaging of the distribution of inhaled aerosol

The group is involved in studying the fate of inhaled aerosol in the body using combined three-dimensional radionuclide and magnetic resonance imaging. This methodology combined with analysis software developed by the group provides unique new experimental data on the pattern of aerosol deposition within the lung. This is of considerable value in optimising drug delivery by the inhaled route for the treatment of asthma and in aiding the understanding of health effects of particulate pollution in the atmosphere.

One of the key areas of work is the development of techniques for estimating the distribution of deposition within the airway tree from spatial imaging data. This will enable improved interpretation of deposition data by clinicians as it is provided with relation to anatomy. The process requires a description of the airway tree in 3D space. A corresponding conceptual model has been created and methods for calculating deposition by airway generation derived. More recently a more realistic airway model have been provided using CT images of both airways casts and real human subjects.

Radiotherapy dosimetry

The group has been involved in targeted radiotherapy dosimetry for a number of years. Methods for macrodosimetry have been developed but more recently this has been extended to include microdosimetry.

The use of simulation in radionuclide image evaluation

The group has developed a technique for the simulation of the gamma camera imaging process. This has the potential to be used to evaluate both qualitative image interpretation and quantitative image analysis. Simulated lung images have already been used in a national audit of quantitative lung imaging. Development of brain and renal models is underway to produce simulated radionuclide images of these organs. This will allow improved evaluation of methods for quantitative analysis of brain and kidney imaging.

Technical improvements in nuclear medicine procedures

The group is also involved in improving nuclear medicine procedures. At the present time, work is ongoing in the areas of simultaneous ventilation-perfusion imaging and in parathyroid subtraction imaging.