CMPE open evening

Each year The Christie's Medical Physics department opens its doors to local schools and colleges in a bid to help students see the potential of their Physics studies.

The 2011 even, which coincided with National Science and Engineering week, saw 250 students and 50 staff from 13 schools and colleges invited behind the scenes at the hospital for a series of talks and demonstrations covering all areas of medical physics.

Future events:

Due to exceptionally high demand, and to ensure that all schools have the chance to bring students to this unique event, places will be limited to 15 per school.

Schools will be notified approximately 2 weeks before booking opens, to allow time to speak to students and get an idea of numbers.

The speaker at the 2012 event will be Peter Cole from the University of Liverpool. Peter is an expert in Radiation Protection, and will be giving a talk on MRI scanners. Peter last spoke at the Physics Open Evening in 2010, where his 'Mobile Phones v's Sunbeds' talk was very well received by students and staff. We are delighted to have him back and look forwards to hearing his talk

The programme:

The department works hard to ensure that all areas of Medical Physics are represented, to give students a clear picture of the wide range of jobs available in this sector and where their physics studies can take them.

Our staff are on hand to answer any questions, and careers and future study advice is also provided by a number of guest organisations, such as local universities, Connexions, and organisations such as the Institute of Physics (IoP) and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).

In 2011 the event features the following talks:

A 45 minute talk by Prof Peter Williams entitled 'Radiation: Two sides to every story'. Peter, who is a former director of the department, explored the myths surrounding radiation and looked at the many uses for the technology in medicine, focussing on cancer treatment here at The Christie. Peter also highlighted the role of physicists and engineers and discussed some of the careers available in the sector.

Students also saw 3 short talks by Christie staff, including:

Linear Accelerators (Linac)

Linear accelerators use both photon and electron beams to treat the designated treatment areas of the patient whether these are surface areas or internal. How a Linear accelerator works and its role in patient treatment are also explained.

Ultrasound:

The ultrasound demonstration will cover both ultrasound physiotherapy equipment and diagnostic imaging systems. There will be examples of greyscale 2D imaging of the inside of a commercial ultrasound test object and pulsed wave Doppler and colour Doppler imaging using an in house dynamic string test object. Students will be given a basic introduction to how images are formed and be able to see 'inside' a number of ultrasound probes.

Magnetic resonance (MR):

MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radiofrequency energy to excite protons within the body. The magnetic properties of protons in different tissue types vary and so by exploiting these we can produce images demonstrating differences between certain tissues and between normal tissues and pathology. Due to the use of the strong magnetic field, there are a number of safety issues involved in MRI scanning. This demonstration explains how MRI works, what it is used for and how it can be employed safely

Ultraviolet radiation & lasers:

UV light can be used to treat a range of skin conditions but it is essential that the dose of light is carefully controlled. This demo concerns the treatments, the light sources and the role of physicists in devising ways to calibrate the equipment. The many uses of lasers in medicine will also be introduced.

Photodynamic Therapy:

Photodynamic therapy utilises a special drug which does nothing on its own, and light which is not strong enough to do anything on its own. If these two apparently useless agents are combined in the right way, a potent cancer treatment results. This demonstration explains how photodynamic therapy works and how the treatment is used.

Radiation protection:

This covers the history of radiation protection. The talk starts with the discovery of x-rays and ends with some examples of practical radiation protection in a diagnostic x-ray department. There is a brief summary of the legislations in place covering the use of radiation in a hospital.

Diagnostic radiology:

This demo introduces the way in which x-rays are used to see the internal structures of the body. Physicists play an important role in ensuring that equipment is fit for purpose in terms of image quality and patient safety. The evolution of X-ray detectors will be covered and the types of tests performed by physicists introduced.

Nuclear medicine imaging:

Nuclear medicine imaging utilises the radioactive decay process by using gamma emitting radionuclides for the diagnosis of disease. A radioactive drug is given to the patient and the resulting gamma rays are detected in order to create images showing functional processes within the body. This demonstration will explain the scientific processes involved, the equipment used, and examples of nuclear medicine images and their clinical significance.

Radionuclide therapy:

An alternative treatment for cancers in certain cases is Targeted Radionuclide Therapy. This relies on a blend of biology and physics. Firstly a biological molecule that will specifically target a particular cancer cell is developed, and then a radionuclide or isotope is joined to the biological agent which will then deliver its radiation to the cancer cells. There are advantages to this type of treatment in that there is less radiation given to normal cells and patients often have fewer side effects. The other advantage is that tiny areas of cancer cells- too small to be treated by radiotherapy- can be targeted and all cancer cells within the patient are treated. However the patient is radioactive during this therapy and we have to take precautions to ensure this is done in safety. The Christie hospital is experienced in these therapies and has a specialist unit. The application of this therapy relies on finding the correct agent to target the cancer cells and the best radioactive isotope to give the radiation. As more and more biological agents are developed for different cancer cells, the range of cancers that can be treated in this way is growing. This demonstration will focus mainly on the treatment of Thyroid cancer with radio-Iodine, but will also mention other therapies performed.

PET:

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging is a speciality of nuclear medicine that utilises radioactive decay by using positron emitting radionuclides for the diagnosis of disease. A radioactive drug is given to the patient and two coincident gamma rays created by the radioactive decay process are detected to create images showing functional processes within the body. This demonstration will explain the scientific processes involved, the equipment used, and examples of PET images and their clinical significance.

Medical engineering:

Medical Engineering are responsible for a range of patient connected equipment, whether they are for providing therapy, e.g. administering chemotherapy drugs through a pump or an electric shock through a defibrillator, or for monitoring a patients wellbeing, e.g. blood pressure and temperature. This involves the maintenance and repair of medical equipment and its general management. The demonstration will include examples of such equipment.

Simulator:

Radiotherapy simulators use conventional X-rays to produce live imaging and 3D CT images of patients. This enables the accurate location of treatment areas to be determined. How the Simulator works and its role in the patient's treatment are also explained.

If you would like any further information about medical Physics Open Evenings, or would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact the CMPE General Office on 0161 446 3541, or email: nwmp.courses@physics.cr.man.ac.uk