Gels are used in a large variety of commercial and scientific products from drug delivery systems and food science to biomedical sensors. They also are invaluable in MRI physics research where they mimic biological tissue and in radiotherapy quality assurance where they are used to capture the three dimensional radiation dose distribution. This unique book discusses the state-of-the-art of NMR and MRI techniques in studying the physics and chemistry of gel systems, in their application as MRI phantoms and as three dimensional radiation dosimeters. The first part of the book will cover the fundamental physical concepts of gels and the NMR techniques to study gel systems. The second part is dedicated to the application of gels in the life sciences and in the medical practice to validate radiotherapy and new MRI techniques.Filling the gap in literature, this volume provides the scientific reader with an extensive overview of possible techniques and methods to study the interesting properties and applications of gels. For the MRI researcher and medical physicist, the book will be a valuable resource in using gel phantoms for validating contemporary MRI techniques and radiotherapy treatments.
