Qing Yang
Position
Medical Physics MSc Thesis Student (Clinical)
Qualifications
PGDipSc (Medical Physics), University of Canterbury
Contact Details
Room: 813, Physics and AstronomyPhone: +64 3 364 2987
Internal Phone: 7544
Email: qing.yang@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Research
Development of low-cost quality control tests for SPECT gamma cameras, in collaboration with Christchurch Hospital, 2011 – 2012
Supervisors: Juergen Meyer; Darin O’Keeffe (cc)
Profile
Qing Yang graduated from University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Mathematics in 2009 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Physics in 2010. He began his MSc in Medical Physics at University of Canterbury in March 2011.
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Qing’s MSc thesis is related to Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). SPECT is one of the most widely used functional imaging modalities and is used to image pathological changes of organ function in 3D. This is achieved by recording the spatial distribution of a gamma-ray emitting radiopharmaceutical introduced into the body.
Comprehensive quality control of a modern SPECT gamma camera may involve the performance of a large number of sophisticated tests of system function, many of which require costly specialized test equipment. Qing’s research investigates options to streamline and reduce the cost of quality control tests for SPECT gamma cameras. The project is divided into two parts, computational simulations and experimental verification. The first part investigates the diffusion process and examines different mixing techniques for SPECT phantoms to ensure the efficient use of radiopharmaceuticals keeping unnecessary radiation exposure of clinical staffs in mind. The second part includes the phantom design optimization by means of the SIMIND Monte Carlo package followed by experimental validation.