You may often wonder what atomic, nuclear, or particle physics has to do with modern medicine. The answer is, quite a lot. In fact, many of the technologies currently used in hospitals around the country owe their own existence to fundamental research in physics, from MRI, PET and CT scanners, to radiation therapy.
Recently, a new contrast agent obtained FDA approval for its use in both adults and children over six years old: hyperpolarized 129Xe gas (XENOVIEW). This contrast allows clinicians to visualize ventilation and gas exchange in the lungs in great details, something that traditional MRI alone, or other imaging modalities, cannot do.
The ...