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What is one disadvantage of a basic Anger, or gamma, camera compared with more advanced imaging methods?
AIt gives only a flat, two-dimensional view
BIt cannot detect gamma rays of any energy
CIt requires the patient to swallow a metal rod
DIt only works on patients under one year old
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. It gives only a flat, two-dimensional view
1. A gamma camera collects radiation through a lead collimator onto a scintillator array.
2. Because radiation from any depth under the detector produces the same kind of signal, the image is only two-dimensional, with no depth information.
3. It does detect gamma rays, which is the whole basis of the device.
4. Swallowing a metal rod and an age restriction are not described limitations of this camera.
5. So the lack of depth information is correct.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Atom", section 22.5 Medical Applications of Radioactivity: Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation_
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