-  Gather, analyse information and use available evidence to assess the impact of medical applications of physics on society.

Due to a largely growing industry in technology, sophisticated equipment have been manufactured that impacted greatly on the society. Medical applications of physics[1] have been largely made possible through the use of computers and radiation.

How these applications have impacted on society was the result of being able to image or ‘look’ inside the human body to diagnose and identify potential problems with the patient. The doctor through a series of scans does this process of imaging. These scans all have its advantages and disadvantages, in which the advantages usually outweigh the disadvantages. These imaging techniques have saved many lives due to its capability of observing inside the human body. Some of the most popular scans include ultrasound, X-rays, CAT scans, PET scans, bone scans and MRI scans. Each of these scans has their particular use for different diagnostics[2]. The ones that have the biggest impact on society are the ones that pose the least threat and don’t damage cells. The 2 important scans that aren’t hazardous are ultrasound and MRI.

Ultrasound is a method of imaging that uses the piezoelectric effect to generate sound[3], which is transmitted and detected by a transducer. These sound waves have no damaging side effects and thus can be used often. Its main applications include viewing inside a mother’s womb and observing a baby. Another use of it is to break gallstones.

[4]

For MRI’s, it is a method of looking inside the body without having to use surgery with its dangers of infection[5]. Nor does it use ionizing radiations such as X-rays or radioactive substances. There are no known risks associated with MRI, so that repeated images can be taken without the fear of too much exposure[6].

Imaging technique / Advantages / Disadvantages / Impact on society

MRI

/ ·  No ionizing radiation is used
·  Provides the clearest pictures of organs such as the brain / ·  Most expensive imaging technique
·  Requires a long time to complete a scan / ·  Allows patients brain/nervous system to be scanned and provide a clear image of their problems whereas traditional methods could not.
·  Saved many lives by being able to diagnose problems early

As a result of these 2 non-damaging scans, the impact was huge. Being able to do repeated scans without the fear of side effects lead to the manufacture of the equipment to produce these images, which lead to high costs in taking these scans and the poorer people unable to utilize it.

There are also many other techniques that impacted greatly on society due to medical physics. The ability to use radioisotopes[7] to diagnose the inside body as well as X-rays to diagnose bone problems became popular due to its low consumer cost as well as ease of performing the diagnosis. X-rays relied on its penetrating abilities, which can affect photographic paper but are, however, blocked by bone. The result is an image of the skeleton and the ability to look at areas, which can cause problems. The impact of X-rays was the largest when it was first discovered. It was used frequently without the knowledge of its dangerous potential. It could damage cells and cause cancers and tumours, which can ultimately lead to death. This impact was huge in that it had to be used less; so another method of imaging was required that can be more frequently used.

Imaging Technique

/

Advantages

/

Disadvantages

/ Impact on Society

X-rays

/

·  The cheapest imaging technique

·  X-Rays machines are readily available. /

·  Shows structure but not the function of the organ being scanned

·  Ionising radiation used so care must be taken. / ·  Allowed the majority of patients be able to afford an X-ray scan due to its low cost.
·  Saved many lives by being cost effective.

Commonly, radiation was a method used to image the insides of a body. Bone scans, PET scans, and CAT scans all rely on radiation. Although the potential dangers of using radioisotopes for imaging can be lethal[8], the doctor makes the decision whether the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages.

Typical X-ray image.[9] Typical Bone scan[10] Typical MRI scan[11]

Because of these imaging techniques, being able to look inside the body and discover and diagnose problems has saved many lives. Sophisticated[12] equipment have been developed as well as techniques to minimize the damage/costs to the patient so as problems can been diagnosed early and treated appropriately. However these techniques must be used less to avoid cell damage[13], which result in cancers and tumours. The non-cell destructive imaging techniques are frequently used, as there are no dangerous side affects currently known. Towards society, hospitals, surgery rooms and nursing homes are currently better equipped and able to diagnose problems in a short time as well as treat them in an appropriate manner. This impact is large as the majority of medical problems lie inside the body, which is hard to view and thus allows appropriate scans to be performed to identify early problems. If these methods of looking into the body didn’t exist, the general health and longevity of life would be significantly reduced. Hospitals wouldn’t be able to diagnose problems as well as treat them, which would have been a significant impact on society. Problems such as cancers, blood clots and tumours would never be identified if it weren’t for the result of the medical applications of physics.

All these methods of imaging the body assist doctors in making more accurate diagnoses and so contribute to the improvement of individual health care. They have reduced the need for surgery with its dangers of infection as they provide a non-evasive[14] way of looking inside a body.

More importantly, the imaging techniques that do not involve the use of ionizing radiation such as ultrasound and MRI’s had the greatest impact due to being able to perform repeated scans without the fear of too much exposure and associated body tissue damage to both the application operator[15] and the patient.

Situations where scans have impacted on society include moral dilemmas about whether to have an abortion or not have been rectified due to ultrasound, as it can detect abnormalities in the unborn foetus. Also using PET scans can be used to diagnose the patient for problems rather than traditionally cutting up the patient in a surgery room and risk contamination as well as costly to perform. It can be decided beforehand whether surgery is needed.

Lastly one of the bigger factors on society includes the economic costs. Scans such as MRI’s is very expensive to perform as well as the equipment itself and can only be provided to a large city and population setting. This discriminates against those who are poor, or those who live in rural and small communities.

Excel Physics – By Neville Warren Published by Pascal Press 2000

Physics in Context – By David Hefferman, Andrew Parker and George Pinniger, Published 2002 by Pearson Education Australia Pty Limited

Macmillan Physics – By Mark Butler, David Hopkins and John Willis By Macmillan Education Australia PTY LTD 2001

Websites – www.howstuffworks.com

The sources that have been used have been revised for the 2001 syllabus changes and thus increases the reliability of this assignment. Comparisons between up to date websites such as www.howstuffworks.com and these textbooks used further enhance the reliability as references and images have been checked with each other and to observe that the information is correct, accurate and appropriate.

The date of all these images and information are up to date and therefore provide the correct information sufficient for the 2003 HSC physics course. All images have been sourced and checked. The popularity and recognition for the sources used have been used by 1000’s of students and teachers and thus provide correct information and meet the criteria of reliability.

Footnotes have also been added to clarify understanding of the assignment as well as provide information for unclear words that the reader may encounter.

[1] Scans/Imaging Techniques.

[2] Identification of problems.

[3] Sound greater than 20,000 MHz.

[4] Image from www.howstuffworks.com

[5] Contamination due to external equipment.

[6] Can be performed repeatedly without side effects.

[7] Synthesised isotopes made by a nuclear reactor.

[8] Cause death.

[9] Image from the 2003 CSSA physics paper

[10] Image from the 2003 CSSA physics paper

[11] Image from www.howstuffworks.com

[12] Highly technological equipment.

[13] Kill cells due to significant amounts of radiation.

[14] No cutting up of the body required.

[15] Person who performs the scan on the patient.