The contribution of Medical Physics to Nuclear Medicine: looking back - a physicist’s perspective

BACKGROUND: This paper is the first in a series of invited perspectives by four pioneers of Nuclear Medicine imaging and physics. A medical physicist and a Nuclear Medicine clinical specialist each take a backward look and a forward look at the contributions of Medical Physics to Nuclear Medicine. DISCUSSION: Contributions of Medical Physics are presented from the early discovery of radioactivity, development of first imaging devices, computers and emission tomography to recent development of hybrid imaging. There is evidence of significant contribution of Medical Physics throughout the development of Nuclear Medicine.