Rare Earth Element (REE) Insights for Health and Diagnostic Imaging

Abstract

The medical industry is rapidly expanding its usage of rare earth elements (REE) in cutting-edge technologies including molecular imaging and radiotherapies. Because of its advantageous optical qualities, REE are included into a wide range of imaging modalities, including but not limited to X-ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and positron emission tomography. MRI is an imaging technique widely used in the clinic for the diagnosis of disease and visualization of injuries, which utilizes magnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation to create images of the physiology within the body or clinical analysis. It has various advantages, including quick detection time, large detection depth, no surgery need, etc. This review provides an overview of rare earths and their prospective applications in medical diagnostic imaging and other areas. Some rare earth elements may have use in biomedical imaging, cancer therapy, and image processing, all of which are briefly reviewed. The use of REE into health and medical applications is now well established. However, much of the future of diagnostic imaging analysis could depend on these paramagnetic elements.