Digital Computers in Nuclear Medicine

Abstract

Digital computers were introduced in nuclear medicine practice in the mid-1960s, but did not become an integral part in both imaging and nonimaging applications until the mid-1970s. In imaging modalities, the computers are used to quantitate the distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in an object both spatially and temporally. Both data acquisition and image processing in scintigraphy are accomplished by digital computers. In nonimaging applications, patient scheduling, archiving, inventory of supplies, management of budget, record keeping, and health physics are just a few examples of what is accomplished with the help of digital computers. Computational capabilities have advanced tremendously over the years and are still evolving, and the utility of a computer is limited only by the limitations of hardware and software.