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PH30035: Medical physics

[Page last updated: 23 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Physics
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Examination (EX 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: Before taking this module you must take PH10007 OR take MA10230 OR take MA10208
You must have A-level Physics (or equivalent) to take this module
Learning Outcomes: After taking this unit the student should be able to:
* outline the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of x rays, gamma rays, radio frequency radiation, magnetic fields, electrons, neutrons, radionuclides and ultrasonic waves;
* describe the physical principles underlying specific areas of medical imaging and ionising radiation therapy;
* relate the quality of medical images to the physical principles underlying the equipment associated with their production, use, measurement and evaluation;
* perform basic calculations on medical applications of ultrasound, ionising radiations and magnetic resonance imaging;
* describe the principles of measurement of physiological actions, and associated means of signal processing and interpretation;
* develop an awareness of the magnitude of physiological signals obtained from the human body.


Aims: The aim of this unit is to introduce the application of physics and engineering to medicine, for both diagnosis and therapy.

Skills: Numeracy T/F A, Problem Solving T/F A.

Content: Introduction to course: Introduction to applications of physics and engineering to medicine. Structure of course, lecturers, style of lectures. Expectations. Hospital environment and patient focus. Careers in Medical Physics and Engineering.
X-ray imaging and MRI (5 hours): Physical properties of body tissues. Generation and character of photon beams, absorption and scattering processes in tissue. Radiodiagnostic techniques and equipment, plain radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography. Principles of dosimetry. Radiation protection. Production of cross-sectional images of tissue properties, and function, using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.
Radiotherapeutic techniques (3 hours): Teletherapy, brachytherapy. Clinical applications and treatment planning. Generation and character of therapy beams of ionising particles, electrons, and heavier particles.
Nuclear medicine (5 hours): Radioactivity, nuclear transformations, radionuclide production and radiopharmaceuticals, radiation detection and measurement. Equipment, clinical practice, imaging and non-imaging, therapy. Radionuclide dosimetry. SPECT and PET techniques.
Ultrasonics (5 hours): Generation and description of ultrasonic fields; Near field and far field, focused fields and pulsed fields. Attenuation, absorption and scatter of tissue. Pulse-echo and Doppler methods. Imaging system design. Arrays. Clinical applications.
Physiological measurement (4 hours). Bioelectric potentials: cardiac, neurological, muscular sources: transducers, signal processing, interpretation: flow and pressure measurement, safety.

Course availability:

PH30035 is Compulsory on the following courses:

Department of Chemistry
  • USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)

PH30035 is Optional on the following courses:

Department of Chemistry
  • USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) (Year 3)
  • USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
Department of Physics
  • USXX-AFB03 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
  • USXX-AAB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USXX-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AAB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFM02 : MPhys(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AFM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Research placement (Year 3)
  • USPH-AAM12 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKM03 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
  • USPH-AFM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 3)
  • USPH-AFM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Research placement (Year 3)
  • USPH-AAM14 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AKM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
  • USPH-AAM15 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
  • USPH-AAM13 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
  • USXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
  • USXX-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USXX-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.