PHY 210 - The Physics of Modern Medicine: Applications in Imaging, Surgery and Therapy

Course Units: 1

(Fall) This course introduces the technologies used in modern medicine and the basic physical principles that underlie them. Topics will include: laser surgery, ultrasound imaging, laparoscopic surgery, diagnostic x-ray imaging, nuclear medicine, computed tomography (CAT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and radiation therapy. Safety issues involved in the use of each technique will be considered in depth, and discussions will include societal implications of the growing use of technology in medicine. Specific medical applications discussed will include (but are not limited to): colon cancer screening, arthroscopic knee surgery, laser eye surgery, dermatological laser surgery, obstetrical ultrasound, cardiovascular ultrasound, mammography, osteoporosis screening, cancer radiation therapy, and applications of PET and MRI brain scans in neuroscience. Prerequisite(s): PHY 111 or PHY 121 or IMP-113 or IMP 121, or permission of the instructor.