By Ojal Grover, Adorcille Abat, Patrick Trollope & Vijay Mahatma
By Ojal Grover, Adorcille Abat, Patrick Trollope & Vijay Mahatma
The Electromagnetic
Spectrum and the
associated types of light
are especially useful in the
field of medicine.
Outlined are the way in
which each type of
electromagnetic radiation
were observed and
particular applications
they’re used in.
In 1887, Heinrich Hertz
demonstrated the reality of
Maxwell's electromagnetic waves by
experimentally generating radio
waves in his laboratory.
Their frequencies range from
300GHz to as low as 3kHz.
Radiofrequency is a rate of
oscillation in the range of radio
waves, it refers to electrical rather
than mechanical oscillations.
Radiofrequency energy is used in
medicine e.g. MRI and RFA. Heinrich Hertz
Used to produce images of
soft tissues, fluid, fat and
bone.
Does this by producing a map
which depends on the density
of hydrogen in the body.
Uses strong superconducting
magnet with a magnetic field
strength 40,000 x that of the
Earth’s.
It is used to diagnose many
problems e.g. helps identify
tumours.
Diagram of an MRI scanner
When a person is lying in the
magnetic field of the MRI scanner
the hydrogen atoms in their body
line up.
An radiofrequency field is
applied, which causes some of
the protons to flip around and the
atoms spin together.
This in turn produces a change in
magnetic field, which induces a
voltage in a coil, and the signal is
used to produce an image,
dependent upon the tightness of
Diagram explaining how
the protons. MRI works
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
uses heat to destroy cancer
cells.
It uses a probe (electrode) to
apply an electric current to a
tumor.
The electrical current heats the
cancer cells to high
temperatures, which ablates the
cells.
The cancer cell dies and the area
that’s being treated gradually
shrinks and becomes scar tissue. Diagram of RFA
It doesn’t always work in one go.
In 1888, Heinrich Hertz was the first to
demonstrate the existence of radio
waves by building a spark gap radio
transmitter that produced 450 MHz
microwaves.
Microwaves have typically 300GHz to
300MHz
Heinrich Hertz
Hyperthermia therapy is a type of
medical treatment in which body
tissue is exposed to slightly higher
temperatures to damage and kill
cancer cells or to make cancer cells
more sensitive to the effects of
radiation and certain anti-cancer
drugs.
σ = 5.6704x10-8 Js-1m-2K-4
P = AσεT4
σ = 5.6704x10-8 Js-1m-2K-4
ε = emissivity
Material Emissivity
Material Emissivity
perfect black body 1
Material Emissivity
perfect black body 1
sawdust 0.75
>2.5% 0.03%
~ 6.8 billion
~ 1.8 billion
Can be detected by the human eye.
Wavelengths range from 750-
400nm.
In the 17th Century, Isaac Newton
explained the optical spectrum in his
book ‘Opticks’. He divided the
spectrum into seven named colours:
ROYGBIV.
The actual concept of a visible
‘spectrum’ was defined in the early
19th century when light outside the
visible range was discovered e.g.
Sir Isaac Newton
Johann Ritter with Ultraviolet Light.
Allows us to look inside the
human body through a narrow,
flexible scope.
It is mostly used to diagnose
problems in the oesophagus,
stomach and intestines, including
ulcers, bleeding and tumours.
Typically optical fibres are used to
transfer light to the end of the
endoscope and a miniature video
camera records the image, and
viewed on a video screen.
Endoscope inside the body
Premature babies sometimes
have jaundice.
This makes them look yellow
and is due to excess bilirubin,
the yellow pigment in bruises.
It is usually harmless but can
be treated using blue light.
The blue light breaks down the
bilirubin so that it can be
excreted as urine.
EM radiation between
10-400 nm.
Johaan Wilhelm
Ritter- 1801.
Primary source from
Sun.
Wilhelm Roentgen
Visible light photons (0-3 MeV) are
absorbed by the atoms that make up body
tissue (hence we are not see through!)
X-ray photons have much more energy (1-
100KeV) .
A larger atom is more likely to absorb an
X-ray photon in this way, because larger
atoms have greater energy differences
between
Smaller atoms, where the electron orbitals
are separated by relatively low jumps in
energy, are less likely to absorb X-ray
photons.
Soft tissue does not absorb x-ray radiation
well but it still possible, that is why you
don’t only see bones.
The heart of the x-ray machine is the
electrode pair. A Cathode (heated
filament) and the Anode (made of
Tungsten)
The Cathode source accelerates
electrons to a high speed and these
electrons then collide with the
Tungsten .
X-ray machine
The free electron collides with the The free electron is attracted to the
tungsten atom, knocking an tungsten atom nucleus. As the
electron out of a lower orbital. A electron speeds past, the
higher orbital electron fills the nucleus alters its course. The
empty position, releasing its electron loses energy, which it
excess energy as a photon. releases as an X-ray photon.
EM Radiation high
frequency
High energy photon- kill
cancer cells
Produced by decay from
high energy states of
atomic nuclei
Discovered in 1900 by
Paul Villard. (right)
Paul Villard
Nuclear medical
imaging
Gamma Rays- positron
annihilation
3D image
Non- Invasive