nuclear imaging

Nuclear imaging is a medical imaging technique used to visualize the internal structures and processes of the body. It works by using a radioactive tracer, which is injected into the body, absorbed by the organs and tissues, and then detected by a special imaging camera. This camera produces an image that shows the distribution of the tracer in the body, which can be used to diagnose and monitor many diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and neurological conditions. An analogy that can help us understand nuclear imaging is to think of a map. A map can help us see the geographical distribution of a certain area. In a similar way, nuclear imaging can help us see the distribution of a tracer in the body. Nuclear imaging is a safe and non-invasive procedure; it does not require surgery or exposure to radiation, and the amount of radiation used is very small. Fun fact: nuclear imaging is used to diagnose over 7 million patients in the US every year.