[The physical problems in medicine].
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the basic sciences to support the human health are chemistry, physics and informatics. Chemistry is the base of pharmacy. Physics is the base of medical instruments and equipments (MIE). The diagnosis and therapy of diseases are relying on informatics. Therefore, as the fusion results of physics and medicine, medical physics is the creative source science of MIE. Among all diagnosis tools, medical imaging devices are the fastest-developed and the most-complicated MIE since Roentgen discovered X-ray which was quickly used in medical diagnosis in 1895. Among all treatment tools, the radiotherapeutical devices are the most-widely used and the most effective MIE for tumor treatments since Mrs. Courier found the nature radiation isotope Radium at the end of 19th century and began to use it in tumor therapy. Although the research and development (R&D) of so-complicated MIE need many subjects of science and engineering, the kernel science is medical physics. With the results of more than 50 years' development in developed countries, medical physics has defined its own field, which is the medical imaging physics and the radiotherapeutical physics. But, the definition has been expanded to be wider and wider. Therefore, we should pay more attention to the establishment of Medical Physics in China. In order to develop medical physics in china, the bases of R&D and clinical practice should be also built.
Bao
Shang-lian
SL
Beijing Key Lab of Medical Physics and Engineering, Peking University. bao@pku.edu.cn
Wang
Wei-dong
WD
Fan
Tie-shuan
TS
D002681:China; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006283:Health Physics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010825:Physics / Q000295:instrumentation*