Essential Physics of Medical X-ray Sources and Detectors: Lecture Notes on X-ray Tubes, Linacs, Photon-Counting Detectors, and Energy-Integrating Detectors - Hardcover

Li, Ke

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 303227799X ISBN 13: 9783032277992

Publisher: Springer, 2026

Synopsis

This book draws on experience teaching medical physics graduate students and residents to offer a self-contained and rigorous introduction to the physics of X ray tubes, medical linear accelerators (Linacs), X ray photon-counting detectors (PCDs), and X-ray energy-integrating detectors. It directly addresses the conceptual challenges learners face in understanding the operating principles of PCDs and Linacs, using an approach that is intuitive without sacrificing depth.

The book is organized into six focused chapters covering basic semiconductor physics, semiconductor detector structure and elements, semiconductor photon counting detector (PCD) physics, physics of inorganic scintillators and scintillator image detectors, physics in x-ray tubes, and waveguide physics in medical Linacs. Core physical principles and governing laws are developed through first principles-based derivations, supported by schematic illustrations and real-world examples that reinforce both conceptual understanding and practical application.

Written for medical physics and bioengineering students, residents, researchers, and educators, the book assumes no prior background in semiconductor physics while providing a rigorous explanation of how modern X-ray detectors, tubes, and Linac systems work. By strengthening fundamental understanding, it equips readers to master current technologies and contribute to future innovation in X ray sources and detectors.

About this title

About the Author

Ke Li, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Imaging Physics and the Department of Interventional Radiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He earned his B.S. in Physics from Nanjing University in 2006, his M.S. in Physics from The Ohio State University in 2009, and his Ph.D. in Medical Physics from the University of Wisconsin (UW)–Madison in 2013.

Prior to joining MD Anderson in 2024, Dr. Li was a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Physics at UW–Madison, home to the oldest and largest Medical Physics Ph.D. program in the United States. From 2020 to 2023, he co-taught Radiation Detection and Production, a core course in the UW Medical Physics Graduate Program. This book is an expanded version of the lecture notes he developed for that course. He has also taught several other medical physics graduate-level courses such as Principles of X-ray Computed Tomography and Introduction to Medical Physics II: Medical Imaging, at UW–Madison or MD Anderson. His teaching has consistently received top ratings from graduate students at both institutions.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Li is an active researcher focused on developing advanced X-ray and CT imaging technologies, including photon-counting detector CT. He has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, along with two book chapters, and 10 US patents. He has also provided extensive volunteer service to the medical physics and radiology communities, including serving as a program chair for the annual conferences of Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Medical Imaging, and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).

From the Back Cover

This book draws on experience teaching medical physics graduate students and residents to offer a self-contained and rigorous introduction to the physics of X ray tubes, medical linear accelerators (Linacs), X ray photon-counting detectors (PCDs), and X-ray energy-integrating detectors. It directly addresses the conceptual challenges learners face in understanding the operating principles of PCDs and Linacs, using an approach that is intuitive without sacrificing depth.

The book is organized into six focused chapters covering basic semiconductor physics, semiconductor detector structure and elements, semiconductor photon counting detector (PCD) physics, physics of inorganic scintillators and scintillator image detectors, physics in x-ray tubes, and waveguide physics in medical Linacs. Core physical principles and governing laws are developed through first principles-based derivations, supported by schematic illustrations and real-world examples that reinforce both conceptual understanding and practical application.

Written for medical physics and bioengineering students, residents, researchers, and educators, the book assumes no prior background in semiconductor physics while providing a rigorous explanation of how modern X-ray detectors, tubes, and Linac systems work. By strengthening fundamental understanding, it equips readers to master current technologies and contribute to future innovation in X ray sources and detectors.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 303227799X
• ISBN 13: 9783032277992
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 389