Nuclear Medicine provides information about the function, rather than just the anatomy, of an organ.  It can often identify abnormalities at the onset of a disease, long before it shows on other diagnostic tests.

Nuclear Medicine, when used for diagnostic purposes, uses specific radiopharmaceuticals which target a particular area of the body, and which assists a physician in diagnosing disease by evaluating the function of that area of the body.

The radiopharmaceutical is usually administered by an injection, but sometimes orally.  After a time interval – which allows for the radiopharmaceutical to reach the area of interest, images are then acquired of the relevant region using a Gamma Camera.

The Gamma Camera forms the image by accumulating the detected energy emitted from the radioactive injection previously administered.  Imaging takes some time 30-90 minutes because the very sensitive camera is measuring very low levels of radiation, and the longer a patient lies under the camera, the better it is able to distinguish between organ activity and background radiation.

Gamma Cameras are distinguished by the flexibility they have in rotating around the body.  In addition, MDI’s Gamma Cameras have two heads – which double the amount of detection – and therefore reduce the examination time.  In addition, our Cameras have built in DVD players for patients to watch a DVD if possible.

In addition, by co-locating functional imaging of nuclear medicine with MR and CT (which focus on anatomy), our centres can bring the best of modalities to bear on any problem.  As all modalities are digital, we can fuse images from the gamma camera with images from either MR or CT.  Both functional and anatomical information can then be seen in one image.

Our equipment

Our dual headed, state-of-the-art gamma cameras are able to perform all the latest scans.  They are set within their own suites, which include a dedicated patient WC, and a waiting room with flat-screen DVD entertainment for patients.
The equipment embodies all the recent advances in gamma camera technology:

• Dual-headed detectors mean that only a single pass is necessary, halving the imaging time.
• The gantry’s open design and ‘feet-first’ entry make the experience far more relaxed and comfortable