SPECTSingle Photon Emission

Tomography

Pandu Ekoyudho

Physics

14 November 2014

What Is SPECT?

SPECT is an acronym of Single Photon Emission Computed

Tomography.

A SPECT is a scanner for medical purposes where it is a type of

nuclear imaging test. It uses radioactive substance and special camera

to crate 3-D pictures.

A SPECT scanner works similar as X-Ray. However SPECT scanner is

not only used to see bones but the organs inside our body. For

example to see the blood flows in veins, brain, etc.

How Does it Work?

Before a person gets into the machine, he/ she is

injected with a chemical that is radiolabeled to emit

gamma rays that can be detected by the scanner.

The computer will take the emitted images of the gamma

rays in 2-D and translate it into 3-D images.

What Substances are used in this machine?

The radioisotopes that is used here are iodine-123,

technetium- 99m, xenon-133, thallium-201, and fluorine-

18.

These radioactive are safe to use and will not harm our

body once the scanner is detecting.

These radioisotopes also be able to spot other drugs

and chemicals inside our body.

What Does this DO?

This machine can detect brain disorders such as

Dementia

Clogged blood vessels

Epilepsy

Heart Problem

Clogged coronary arteries

Reduced pumping efficiency

Bone disorders

What are the Side Effects?

This machine is really safe to use.

There are may several things happened after the

scanning such as;

Bleeding, pain during the injection

Allergic but it is really rare happening.

MLA CITATIONS

• Steward, Cheryl. "SPECT Scan." How You Prepare. Mayfield Clinic, 2013.

Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/

spect-scan/basics/how-you-prepare/prc-20020674>.

• " SPECT (single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) Scan." SPECT

Scan. Mayo Clinic, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://

www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-SPECT.htm>.