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Medical Imaging & Physics - ELE00173M

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  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

The module aims to equip students with foundational knowledge and skills of different medical imaging modalities like radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, nuclear medical imaging, nuclear medicine planar imaging, and ultrasound imaging etc. The range of medical applications is very broad, so the module will aim to convey the energy interaction pattern of light and human tissue (like absorption, attenuation, scattering etc.) which results in useful imaging detection. This module explains the diagnostic ability, technical requirement, advantages and limitations of image acquisition techniques. The results of this study will enable students to apply their knowledge to develop better healthcare technologies and equipment.

Learning will be achieved through case studies, exercises, models, and laboratory exercises.

Related modules

Pre-requisite modules

Co-requisite modules

  • None

Prohibited combinations

  • None

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

Subject content aims:

  • Introducing state-of-the-art research by domain experts into medical imaging modalities (radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, nuclear medical imaging, nuclear medicine planar imaging, and ultrasound imaging etc).

  • Develop understanding of the interaction of radiation with matter, health and safety considerations, and the use of imaging in clinical and research applications.

  • Provide practical and research aspects of subject knowledge required for obtaining medical images, and develop an understanding of how imaging methodology is used for diagnostic or medical research purposes.

Graduate skills aims:

  • Introduce biomedical imaging modalities along with the benefits, limitations, technical requirements of image acquisition.

  • Learn to assimilate state-of-the-art research findings in medical imaging and how these translate from bench to bedside.

  • Introduction to human anatomy, physiology, diagnosis and prognosis in relation to image quality and properties via different modalities.

  • Provide a platform for students to improve their skills by letting them research and summarise medical imaging research and associated technologies.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes
After successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Understand and be able to apply engineering principles that govern the principal human body coordinating and integrating imaging systems.
  • Analyse different medical imaging modalities including their benefits, limitations, and technical requirements
  • Understand bioimaging modalities, the relevant anatomy, physiology and the interaction of radiation with human tissue.
  • Evaluate biomedical methods and images, their production, characteristics, safety considerations and processing requirements


Graduate skills learning outcomes
After successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Understand the methodologies of acquiring and analysing medical imaging
  • Understand different types of imaging modalities, machine learning and other image analysis algorithms.
  • Evaluate safety aspects of biomedical imaging technologies resulting from the interaction of radiation with human tissue.

Module content

Professional Skills

  • Laboratory practice: Students will be expected to follow good laboratory practice procedures.

  • Health and safety: Students will be introduced to health and safety in the wider context including relevant legislation as it affects product development.

Graduate skills

  • Teamwork: Students will be introduced to the need to establish communications, coordination and control mechanisms within their group to help deliver efficiently and effectively. The groups will be guided in the establishment of these by their academic supervisor. They will be expected to describe their approach and any problems they encountered in their individual report.

  • Research: Students will determine the research needs for their project and seek out appropriate resources. They will be expected to maintain accurate and professional records of their research and report it through accurate and full referencing.

  • Communication: Students will be expected to document the work undertaken in their project to a professional standard, producing appropriate information for technical and non-technical audiences. Examples of technical information include specifications, test reports, etc. Examples of non-technical information include user manuals, etc.

  • Ethics: Groups will be expected to decide, in conjunction with their group academic supervisor, what ethical approval is required and then produce and gain appropriate approval for it.

  • Project management: Students will be introduced to formal project management tools and required to produce a planned and managed project plan.

  • Meetings & meetings management: Students will be expected to record their weekly meetings and track actions allocated. They will be introduced to the concept of Design Reviews and be expected to hold them as part of the project.

  • Risk management: Students will be introduced to risk management as a manageable activity, including how to quantify risks and use a risk register as a tool to manage risks. They will produce a risk register for their project.

  • Time management: Students will be responsible for their own time management and will be expected to write a reflective critique of their time management in the individual section of their project report.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 80
Groupwork 20

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Students will be graded based on their individual performance. Each student will be tasked with a specific role on the imaging modality.

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme. We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments. A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.

The School of PET aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme. In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work. The School will endeavour to return all exam feedback within the timescale set out in the University's Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time. The School would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback. The School will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum. Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate. Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.

Formative Feedback

Regular lectures, workshop and lab sessions will help students to engage with concepts of biomedical engineering. Project reports and associated presentations will help students to develop problem solving, critical analysis and public speaking skills.

Opportunities for obtaining formative feedback include lab work with spoken feedback and problem-solving, help during lab demonstrations, speaking about assignment plans with academics, revision sessions and workshops, and pre-presentation briefing sessions.

Summative Feedback

Coursework: Weekly lectures followed by individual/group project demonstrations will help students to gain feedback on understanding the key module material covered in the lectures. Emails to the Module Coordinator with Questions / Comments will be answered as soon as possible.

Indicative reading

  1. Bushberg, J.T. and Boone, J.M., 2011. The essential physics of medical imaging. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

  2. Allisy-Roberts, P.J. and Williams, J., 2007. Farr's physics for medical imaging. Elsevier Health Sciences.

  3. Spratt, J.D., Salkowski, L.R., Loukas, M., Turmezei, T., Weir, J. and Abrahams, P.H., 2020. Weir & abrahams' imaging atlas of human anatomy E-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.

  4. Washington, C.M. and Leaver, D.T., 2015. Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.