Nuclear Medicine Technologist Course

Lesson 1 • Atomic Structure and Nuclear Physics

Covers protons, neutrons, electrons, and nuclear binding energy. Provides the physical basis for understanding radioactive isotopes used in imaging.

Lesson 2 • Radiation Interactions with Matter

Describes photoelectric effect, Compton scatter, and pair production. Understanding these interactions underpins detector design and image quality optimization.

Lesson 3 • Radioactive Decay Kinetics

Teaches half-life, decay constants, and activity calculations. Students use these to determine safe administration times and dose preparation schedules.

Lesson 4 • Units and Quantities in Radiation

Defines absorbed dose, equivalent dose, and effective dose in SI and traditional units. Accurate unit use is essential for dose reporting and regulatory compliance.

Lesson 1 • Radionuclide Production Methods

Covers reactor, cyclotron, and generator-based radionuclide production. Connects production method to availability, cost, and clinical application.

Lesson 2 • Radiopharmaceutical Labeling Techniques

Explains direct labeling, chelation, and kit-based preparation methods. Students apply these techniques to prepare common diagnostic agents accurately.

Lesson 3 • Radiopharmaceutical Quality Control

Covers radionuclidic, radiochemical, and chemical purity testing methods. Ensures students can verify product integrity before patient administration.

Lesson 4 • Regulatory Oversight of Radiopharmaceuticals

Reviews regulatory requirements for compounding, dispensing, and record-keeping. Students understand compliance obligations governing radiopharmaceutical practice.

Lesson 1 • Radiation Monitoring and Dosimetry

Covers personal dosimeters, survey meters, and area monitoring devices. Students select and use appropriate instruments for occupational and environmental monitoring.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Radiation Protection

Introduces time, distance, and shielding as primary protection tools. Establishes the ALARA framework guiding all occupational exposure decisions.

Lesson 3 • Radioactive Waste Management

Explains classification, segregation, decay-in-storage, and disposal of radioactive waste. Students apply regulatory waste management requirements in clinical settings.

Lesson 4 • Emergency Procedures and Spill Response

Prepares students to respond to radioactive spills, personnel contamination, and exposure incidents. Rapid, correct response minimizes dose and regulatory consequences.

Lesson 1 • SPECT System Principles

Covers detector rotation, data acquisition, and reconstruction for SPECT imaging. Builds on gamma camera knowledge to explain tomographic image formation.

Lesson 2 • PET Scanner Design and Operation

Explains coincidence detection, BGO and LSO crystals, and time-of-flight PET. Students distinguish PET from SPECT and understand its superior sensitivity.

Lesson 3 • Gamma Camera Design and Operation

Details collimator types, NaI crystal, and electronics of the Anger gamma camera. Students understand how each component affects spatial resolution and sensitivity.

Lesson 4 • Radiation Detector Fundamentals

Explains gas-filled, scintillation, and semiconductor detector principles. Connects detector physics to clinical instrument selection and performance expectations.

Lesson 1 • Pharmacological Stress and Interventions

Covers vasodilator and inotropic stress agents used in cardiac imaging. Students monitor patients during pharmacological stress and respond to adverse reactions.

Lesson 2 • Radiopharmaceutical Administration

Covers dose verification, injection technique, and post-administration monitoring. Accurate administration ensures diagnostic validity and patient safety.

Lesson 3 • Patient Positioning and Immobilization

Explains positioning for common studies and immobilization strategies to reduce motion artifact. Correct positioning directly affects image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

Lesson 4 • Venipuncture and Intravenous Access

Teaches vein selection, aseptic technique, and IV catheter placement for radiopharmaceutical injection. Competent IV access is fundamental to most nuclear medicine procedures.

Lesson 1 • Systematic Image Interpretation

Develops a structured approach to reviewing nuclear medicine images across organ systems. Students distinguish normal variants from pathological findings using pattern recognition.

Lesson 2 • Hybrid Imaging Fusion and Analysis

Covers SPECT/CT and PET/CT image fusion, co-registration, and combined anatomical-functional interpretation. Students use hybrid data to improve lesion localization accuracy.

Lesson 3 • Attenuation and Scatter Correction

Explains CT-based attenuation correction and scatter correction algorithms for SPECT and PET. Proper correction is essential for accurate quantification and diagnosis.

Lesson 4 • Image Reconstruction Techniques

Covers filtered back-projection and iterative reconstruction with clinical parameter selection. Students choose reconstruction settings that optimize image quality for each study.

Lesson 1 • Pulmonary and Hepatobiliary Imaging

Covers ventilation-perfusion lung scanning and hepatobiliary scintigraphy protocols. Students apply these studies to diagnose pulmonary embolism and biliary dysfunction.

Lesson 2 • Genitourinary and Endocrine Imaging

Explains renal scintigraphy, thyroid imaging, and parathyroid localization protocols. Students select appropriate agents and acquisition parameters for each study.

Lesson 3 • Skeletal System Imaging

Covers three-phase bone scan acquisition, whole-body imaging, and SPECT of the skeleton. Students identify normal distribution and common pathological patterns.

Lesson 4 • Cardiovascular Imaging Procedures

Teaches myocardial perfusion imaging, gated SPECT, and radionuclide ventriculography. Students acquire and process cardiac studies for perfusion and function assessment.

Lesson 1 • Internal Dosimetry Calculations

Teaches MIRD schema, residence time estimation, and organ dose calculation methods. Accurate dosimetry supports therapy planning and regulatory dose reporting.

Lesson 2 • Thyroid and Thyroid Cancer Therapy

Covers I-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism and differentiated thyroid cancer, including patient preparation and isolation requirements.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Radionuclide Therapy

Explains targeted radionuclide therapy rationale, therapeutic isotope properties, and dose-response relationships. Connects physics principles to clinical therapeutic outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Bone Pain Palliation and Targeted Therapies

Explains Ra-223, Lu-177 DOTATATE, and Y-90 radioembolization protocols and patient management. Students coordinate multidisciplinary care for therapy patients.