Understanding Engineering Nuclear Medicine Activity

							Understanding Engineering: Nuclear Medicine Activity
Name: _________________________ Date: ____________ Period: ______
Teacher: _________

  1. Half-life is an important issue to consider when selecting a
     radioisotope for treatment. What would you want the half-life of a
     radioisotope to be if it was to be used for treating a cancer patient for
     a month?
        a. 1-10 days
        b. 10-100 days
        c. 100 days-10 years
        d. 10-10,000 years

     The half life is the time that it takes for half of the radioisotope to
     decay. If it was too short, like 9 days, the radiation would be
     weakened too early, thus not allowing the patient to receive the full
     treatment needed.

  2. What are some benefits of nuclear imaging over x-ray imaging? If
     necessary, refer to http://www.cvgs.k12.va.us/nuclear/MedIso.htm

     As mentioned both on the web site and in the information section of
     the worksheet, nuclear imaging is far more comprehensive than x-ray
     imaging since it allows soft tissue to be viewed. Unlike x-ray imaging,
     nuclear imaging creates an image using a device called a gamma
     camera to capture the radiation given off by radioisotopes that the
     patient has either inhaled or been injected with.

  For the 3 questions below, you may need to consult a periodic table. For
  an online version, visit www.WebElements.com .

  3. The isotope Chromium-51, which is used to label red blood cells, has
     27 neutrons and 24 protons. Is it proton rich or neutron rich? Why?

     Chromium-51 is neutron rich because it contains excess neutrons.

  4. The isotope Iodine-131, which is used in used in treating and imaging
     the thyroid, as well as in liver treatment, has 78 neutrons and 53
     protons. Is it proton rich or neutron rich? Why?

     Iodine-131 is also neutron rich because it contains excess neutrons.
5. The isotope Carbon-11, which is used in studying brain physiology, has
   5 neutrons and 6 protons. Is it proton rich or neutron rich? Why?

  Carbon-11 is proton rich because it contains excess protons.

6. Based on your answers for the previous three questions, what process
   do you think was used to make each one? Nuclear activation by a
   nuclear reactor or the use of a cyclotron? Support your answers.

  Chromium-51 and Iodine-131 were both created by the use of a
  nuclear reactor, since that is the only way that they could have been
  enriched with excess neutrons. Carbon-11 was generated with the use
  of a cyclotron, since cyclotrons are used to make an element proton
  rich.