Medical Physics and Nuclear Medicine Departments of the University Hospital of Heraklion are in close collaboration. Medical Physics Department staff has the responsibility of quality control and quality assurance for the three SPECT γ-cameras and accompanying instrumentation of the Nuclear Medicine Dept. Medical Physicists are responsible for radiation safety (shielding, operational, optimization) to ensure patient and personnel safety.
The medical physicists are involved in teaching nuclear medicine physicians, technologists and nursing personnel particularly in the fields of radiation safety and physical principles of instrumentation as well as mentoring of medical professionals to insure the safe use of radiopharmaceuticals. They are also responsible for commissioning and acceptance testing of new units. Composing of radiation protection studies and hazard reports required for periodic licensure and certification of Nuclear Medicine Dept by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission licensing authority is another task of Medical Physics Dept staff.
Medical physicists play an important role in I-131 therapies performed in the University Hospital of Heraklion. Before the administration patients are informed by medical physicists about all the issues related to I-131 therapy i.e. administration procedure, hospital stay, instructions to be followed after discharge at home. After the radionuclide capsule is checked to meet the prescribed dose to be administered in a patient the capsule is administered to the patient under the supervision of a medical physicist. The medical physicist is responsible for measuring the radiation level close to the patient and for discharging the patients when their radiation exposures are in acceptable limits.