Biomedical Physics 2

This module teaches the physical basics of biomedical applications in clinics and research. These applications include radiation therapy, laser applications and microscopy. Specifically, the following main topics are covered in these applications: Radiobiology, accelerator sources for radiation therapy, radiation planning, proton therapy, laser applications, light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray microscopy.

After successful participation in this module the student is able to:

• describe the physical principles of radiotherapy techniques (x-ray, gamma, neutron, etc.)
• name laser applications in medicine and understand the underlying laser tissue interactions
• explain various methods used in microscopy (light, x-ray, electron, fluorescence) and compare their advantages and disadvantages

No preconditions in addition to the requirements for the Master’s program in Physics.

The module consists of a lecture in which the theoretical basics and their experimental implementation will be explained and made understandable by descriptive examples from clinical applications. Multimedia materials will be used to explain the different techniques. Great importance is attached to stimulating interactive discussion with the students and among the students about the current topics. The lecture notes contain hyperlinks to the original papers, which are intended to promote the entry into independent literature research. The students are instructed to deepen the topics explained in the lecture independently by such research.

• Hybrid Format: 
• pre-recorded online PowerPoint presentations with integrated animations and whiteboard
• weekly interactive in-person discussions
• PDFs with hyperlinks
• excursion

• H. Zabel: Medical Physics 1 & 2, De Gruyter, (2017)
• A. Oppelt: Imaging Systems for Medical Diagnostics, Publicis, (2005)
• W. Schlegel & J. Bille: Medizinische Physik, Bd. 2, Springer, (2002)
• J. Als-Nielsen & D. MacMorrow: Elements of Modern X-Ray Physics, John Wiley & Sons, (2000)
• W. Kalender: Computertomographie: Grundlagen, Gerätetechnologie, Bildqualität, Anwendungen, Publicis, (2006)

There will be a written exam of 60 minutes duration. Therein the achievement of the competencies given in section learning outcome is tested exemplarily at least to the given cognition level using comprehension questions, discussions based on sketches and simple formulas.

For example an assignment in the exam might be:

• How is a linear accelerator for radiation therapy constructed and how does it work?
• How are proton beams generated for radiation therapy?
• How and why do the depth dose curves for irradiation with photons and ions differ?
• Explain the motivation for dose fractionation using cell survival curves.
• How does a light microscope / phase contrast microscope / laser scanning confocal microscope / STED microscope work?

In the exam no learning aids are permitted.