Antimatter could save your life
Most major hospitals nowadays have a PET scanner.
PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography.
PET scanners use antimatter
PET scanners use antimatter (positrons) to produce three-dimensional images of the inside of a living body.
They can detect diseases, highlight brain function, and show us how all the body’s internal organs are working.
Safe and accurate
Doctors like this procedure because it’s less invasive than other techniques, but it can build a detailed picture of a patient’s health: A PET scan can be accurate to within a few millimetres.
PET scanners help to detect diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological problems, at an early stage. This offers the best chance of successful treatment.
How a PET scan works
A PET scan works by introducing positrons into your body, and detecting where and when they annihilate with electrons.
You may know somebody who has had a PET scan. One day you might even need to have a PET scan yourself.
So what’s involved in having a PET scan? >>
