Medical Imaging: The Science of Seeing Within
This course is no longer being offered.
Course Description
This course on medical imaging is intended for students with an interest in medicine, applied medical physics, biomedical engineering, as well as those who are simply fascinated by our ability to see underneath the skin. Leading questions are: What can we tell from a CAT scan of the chest, an MRI of the head, and an ultrasound of a developing fetus? What are the physical principles behind different modalities and what makes one technology more adequate than others for the diagnosis of a particular pathology?
Medical imaging is a dynamic field that over the last century has enabled the in vivo exploration of tissue structure, biochemistry, and function, non-invasively. As a comprehensive introduction to the major aspects of standard medical imaging systems used today, this course is designed to equip students with the scientific literacy and hands-on exposure that will allow them to develop an appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of medical imaging. Topics will include x-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine, MRI, ultrasound, and image guided surgery. Each section will start with an overview of the fundamental physics implicated in the generation of a certain type of image. Building on those principles, students will then learn about the applications and limitations of each technique, and how medical imaging is expanding to allow us to do more than just detect abnormalities within our bodies.
By the end of this course students will know the state-of-art imaging techniques used for the assessment of particular types of pathology including MRI, CT, PET, Ultrasound etc.; become familiar with methods are used by clinicians and researchers; learn about image guided surgery; and get an idea of where the field is headed in the next 10 or 20 years. This course serves as an introduction for students interested in combining medicine with applied science and engineering.
Although scientific concepts will be explained as we learn more, some prior knowledge of physics and chemistry will be useful.