Introduction to Physics in Modern Medicine

This book addresses the medical applications of physics that are typically not covered in introductory physics courses. The physical principles necessary for understanding how technologies such as surgical lasers or computed tomography (CT or CAT) scanners work are explained. Each chapter contains a short self-contained explanation of the necessary scientific background making this book highly accessible to those without advanced knowledge of physics. It is intended for students in the field of medicine/health studies requiring an elementary background in physics but can also serve as a relatively non-mathematical introduction to this important area of applied physics for undergraduate physics students.

Contents:
1. Introduction and Overview 2. Fantastic Voyage: Fiber Optics and Endoscopes 3. Lasers in Medicine: Healing with Light 4. Seeing with Sound 5. X-ray Vision: Diagnostic X-rays and CT Scans 6. Images and Radioactivity: Radionucleotide scans, SPECT, and PET 7. Radiation Therapy and Radiation Safety in Medicine 8. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Solutions Index