What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear is an imaging modality in Radiology, or Diagnostic Imaging. Other modalities include MRI, CAT Scan, Ultrasound (sonography) and general radiography (x-ray).
Nuclear machines can be also called Scintillation Cameras, Gamma Cameras, Functional Imaging Machines, or "that thing that looks like a CT scanner."
Here is a picture of what one looks like:



This is a Picker camera, about ten years old. It works fairly well still, although we would love to have a shiny new model (hint, hint).
The machine picks up where radiation is and forms a picture of it. It is like a giant Geiger Counter, but relies upon very tiny amounts of radioactivity.
Usually a shot is given of a radioisotope which has been bound to a particular chemical or substance used by the body part we want to image. For example, a phosphate for viewing the bones, a potassium analog to view the heart.

Official Sponsor

Nuclear Medicine has many famous celebrity sponsors. This is the first that we were able to use; stay tuned for many more!

This is Steve

Steve is our chief Nuclear Technologist, i.e., the Boss. He likes to ride his Harley and also goes fly fishing.

This is Bob

Bob is the hardest working member of our Nuclear crew. Mostly he is working hard on retiring in a couple more years.
When not working his buns off, Bob plays endless games of chess and drills us on the energy levels of different radioactive elements.
Bob is a one-man travelogue: if there is a place, he has been there. Except for the Virgin Valley and the Paradise Mine in Nevada, where he must go to mine some black opals.
Bob is the man!

The Proper pronunciation of "Nuclear"

Recently, there has been some confusion (mainly by un-named persons at the front desk) about how to pronounce "nuclear". It is not "new-clur" nor is it "nu-clr" it's "nü-klE-&r". Any other way is an insult to our vary way of life. So please when you are calling back patients over the stento, please say it right or don't say it at all.
Sincerly,
Your Friendly NucMed Techs