This section defines terms used in the chapter, including medical board, license, licensed medical physicist, practitioner, radiation, radiological physics, and several subtypes of medical physics.
Sec. 602.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Advisory committee" means the Medical Physicist Licensure Advisory Committee. (1-a) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 838 , Sec. 2.197(6), eff. September 1, 2015. (2) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 838 , Sec. 2.197(6), eff. September 1, 2015. (3) "Diagnostic radiological physics" means the branch of medical physics that deals with: (A) the diagnostic application of: (i) roentgen rays; (ii) gamma rays from sealed sources; (iii) ultrasonic radiation; or (iv) radiofrequency radiation; and (B) the use of equipment associated with the production and use of those types of radiation. (4) "License" means a certificate issued by the medical board that authorizes the holder to engage in the practice of medical physics. (5) "Licensed medical physicist" means a person who holds a license. (5-a) "Medical board" means the Texas Medical Board. (6) "Medical health physics" means the branch of medical physics that deals with the safe use of roentgen rays, gamma rays, electron or other charged particle beams, neutrons, radionuclides, and radiation from sealed radionuclide sources for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in humans and the use of equipment required to perform appropriate radiation tests and measurements. (7) "Medical nuclear physics" means the branch of medical physics that deals with: (A) the therapeutic and diagnostic application of radionuclides, except those used in sealed sources for therapeutic purposes; and (B) the use of equipment associated with the production and use of radionuclides. (8) "Medical physics" means the branch of physics that is associated with the practice of medicine, including the field of radiological physics. (9) "Practice of medical radiological physics" means the use of principles and accepted protocols of physics to assure the correct quality, quantity, and placement of radiation during the performance of a radiological procedure prescribed by a practitioner that will protect the patient and others from harmful excessive radiation. The term includes: (A) radiation beam calibration and characterization; (B) quality assurance; (C) instrument specification; (D) acceptance testing; (E) shielding design; (F) protection analysis on radiation-emitting equipment and radiopharmaceuticals; and (G) consultation with a physician to assure accurate radiation dosage to a specific patient. (10) "Practitioner" means a person who: (A) is licensed in this state as a doctor of: (i) medicine; (ii) osteopathy; (iii) podiatry; (iv) dentistry; or (v) chiropractic; and (B) prescribes radiologic procedures for other persons. (11) "Radiation" means ionizing or nonionizing radiation above background levels used to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic medical or dental radiological procedure. (12) "Radiological physics" means the branch of medical physics that includes: (A) diagnostic radiological physics; (B) medical health physics; (C) medical nuclear physics; and (D) therapeutic radiological physics. (13) "Radiological procedure" means a test, measurement, calculation, or radiation exposure that: (A) is used to diagnose or treat a disease or another human medical or dental condition; and (B) includes the use of: (i) diagnostic radiation; (ii) nuclear magnetic resonance; (iii) nuclear medicine procedures; or (iv) therapeutic radiation. (14) "Therapeutic radiological physics" means the branch of medical physics that deals with: (A) the therapeutic application of: (i) roentgen rays; (ii) gamma rays; (iii) electron and other charged particle beams; (iv) neutrons; or (v) radiation from a radionuclide source; and (B) the use of equipment associated with the production and use of those types of radiation. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 5.150, eff. April 2, 2015. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 838 (S.B. 202), Sec. 2.048, eff. September 1, 2015. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 838 (S.B. 202), Sec. 2.197(6), eff. September 1, 2015. SUBCHAPTER B. MEDICAL PHYSICIST LICENSURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE