A Brief History of Nuclear Medicine Physics, Instrumentation, and Data Sciences in Korea

• Published in: Nuclear medicine and molecular imaging Vol. 55; no. 6; pp. 265 - 284
• Main Authors: Lee, Jae Sung, Kim, Kyeong Min, Choi, Yong, Kim, Hee-Joung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.12.2021; Springer Nature B.V; 대한핵의학회
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Blood flow; Cardiology; Cyclotrons; Densitometers; Densitometry; Image analysis; Imaging; Instruments; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nuclear Medicine; Oncology; Orthopedics; Photomultiplier tubes; Physics; Positron emission; Radioisotopes; Radiology; Review; Technology assessment; Tomography; 방사선과학; Nuclear medicine; Single-photon emission computed tomography; Image analysis; Medical physics; Positron emission tomography
• ISSN: 1869-3474; 1869-3482
• DOI: 10.1007/s13139-021-00721-7

We review the history of nuclear medicine physics, instrumentation, and data sciences in Korea to commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine. In the 1970s and 1980s, the development of SPECT, nuclear stethoscope, and bone densitometry systems, as well as kidney and cardiac image analysis technology, marked the beginning of nuclear medicine physics and engineering in Korea. With the introduction of PET and cyclotron in Korea in 1994, nuclear medicine imaging research was further activated. With the support of large-scale government projects, the development of gamma camera, SPECT, and PET systems was carried out. Exploiting the use of PET scanners in conjunction with cyclotrons, extensive studies on myocardial blood flow quantification and brain image analysis were also actively pursued. In 2005, Korea’s first domestic cyclotron succeeded in producing radioactive isotopes, and the cyclotron was provided to six universities and university hospitals, thereby facilitating the nationwide supply of PET radiopharmaceuticals. Since the late 2000s, research on PET/MRI has been actively conducted, and the advanced research results of Korean scientists in the fields of silicon photomultiplier PET and simultaneous PET/MRI have attracted significant attention from the academic community. Currently, Korean researchers are actively involved in endeavors to solve a variety of complex problems in nuclear medicine using artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies.