PET SCAN - SCI & TECH
News: Specific PET scan for
TB for more effective treatment
What's in the news?
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A more accurate way to scan for tuberculosis has been developed by
researchers based in the U.K. and the U.S. using positron emission tomography
(PET).
Positron Emission Tomography:
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Positron emission tomography is a medicine
imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional
image or picture of functional processes in the body by detecting the
radiation emitted from radioactive substances.
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It uses a special type of camera and a tracer to look at organs in the
body.
Key takeaways:
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The system works by detecting
pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide
(tracer), which is introduced into the body on a biologically active molecule.
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Three-dimensional
images of tracer concentration within the body are then constructed by computer
analysis.
Working:
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To conduct the scan,
a short-lived radioactive tracer isotope is injected into the living subject
(usually into blood circulation).
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The tracer is chemically incorporated into a biologically active
molecule and put under scanner of a gamma ray detector with crystals embedded
in it.
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The crystals convert the gamma rays, emitted from the patient, to
photons of light, and the photomultiplier tubes in the apparatus convert and
amplify the photons to electrical signals.
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These electrical signals are then processed by the computer to generate
images. Study the brain’s blood flow and metabolic activity.
Significance:
● A PET scan used to detect nervous system problems, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung, colon, or prostate etc.