The
International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) recognizes main areas of medical physics employment and focus.
Medical imaging physics Medical imaging physics is also known as diagnostic and interventional radiology physics. Clinical (both "in-house" and "consulting") physicists typically deal with areas of testing, optimization, and quality assurance of
diagnostic radiology physics areas such as radiographic
X-rays,
fluoroscopy,
mammography,
angiography, and
computed tomography, as well as
non-ionizing radiation modalities such as
ultrasound, and
MRI. They may also be engaged with radiation protection issues such as
dosimetry (for staff and patients). In addition, many imaging physicists are often also involved with
nuclear medicine systems, including single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Sometimes, imaging physicists may be engaged in clinical areas, but for research and teaching purposes, such as quantifying
intravascular ultrasound as a possible method of imaging a particular vascular object.
Therapeutic medical physics Radiation therapeutic physics is also known as
radiotherapy physics or
radiation oncologist physics. The majority of medical physicists currently working in the US, Canada, and some western countries are of this group. A radiation therapy physicist typically deals with
linear accelerator (Linac) systems and kilovoltage x-ray treatment units on a daily basis, as well as other modalities such as
TomoTherapy,
gamma knife,
Cyberknife,
proton therapy, and
brachytherapy. The academic and research side of therapeutic physics may encompass fields such as
boron neutron capture therapy,
sealed source radiotherapy,
terahertz radiation, high-intensity focused
ultrasound (including
lithotripsy),
optical radiation lasers,
ultraviolet etc. including
photodynamic therapy, as well as
nuclear medicine including
unsealed source radiotherapy, and
photomedicine, which is the use of light to treat and diagnose disease.
Nuclear medicine physics Nuclear medicine is a branch of medicine that uses radiation to provide information about the functioning of a person's specific organs or to treat disease. The
thyroid,
bones,
heart,
liver and many other organs can be easily imaged, and disorders in their function revealed. In some cases radiation sources can be
used to treat diseased organs, or tumours. Five
Nobel laureates have been intimately involved with the use of radioactive tracers in medicine. Over 10,000 hospitals worldwide use
radioisotopes in medicine, and about 90% of the procedures are for diagnosis. The most common radioisotope used in diagnosis is
technetium-99m, with some 30 million procedures per year, accounting for 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures worldwide.
Health physics Health physics is also known as radiation safety or
radiation protection. Health physics is the applied physics of radiation protection for health and health care purposes. It is the science concerned with the recognition, evaluation, and control of health hazards to permit the safe use and application of ionizing radiation. Health physics professionals promote excellence in the science and practice of radiation protection and safety. •
Background radiation •
Radiation protection •
Dosimetry •
Health physics •
Radiological protection of patients Non-ionizing medical radiation physics Some aspects of non-ionizing radiation physics may be considered under radiation protection or diagnostic imaging physics. Imaging modalities include
MRI,
optical imaging and
ultrasound. Safety considerations include these areas and
lasers •
Lasers and applications in medicine Physiological measurement Physiological measurements have also been used to monitor and measure various physiological parameters. Many physiological measurement techniques are
non-invasive and can be used in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, other
invasive methods. Measurement methods include
electrocardiography Many of these areas may be covered by other specialities, for example
medical engineering or vascular science.
Healthcare informatics and computational physics Other closely related fields to medical physics include fields which deal with medical data,
information technology and
computer science for medicine. •
Information and communication in medicine •
Medical informatics •
Image processing, display and visualization •
Computer-aided diagnosis •
Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) • Standards:
DICOM,
ISO,
IHE •
Hospital information systems •
e-Health •
Telemedicine •
Digital operating room •
Workflow,
patient-specific modeling • Medicine on the
Internet of Things •
Distant monitoring and
telehomecare Areas of research and academic development trace Non-clinical physicists may or may not focus on the above areas from an academic and research point of view, but their scope of specialization may also encompass
lasers and
ultraviolet systems (such as
photodynamic therapy),
fMRI and other methods for
functional imaging as well as
molecular imaging,
electrical impedance tomography,
diffuse optical imaging,
optical coherence tomography, and
dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. ==Legislative and advisory bodies==