The X-ray was the first medical diagnostic imaging technology.
Health information imaging technology began with the 1895 discovery of X-rays by Dr. Wilhelm Roentgen. Imaging allows health care professionals to examine visual images of the human body without performing intrusive procedures.
The Early Years
In 1913, Berlin pathologist Albert Solomon developed mammography. It has been used since 1927 for the early detection of breast cancer.
The 1950s and 1960s
In the 1950s, British physicist Rosalind Franklin used X-ray crystallography to reveal the basic DNA molecule helical structure. In 1959, ultrasound was developed to detect tumors and examine the health of unborn babies. In 1962, the first positron emission tomography device was invented. A PET scan uses radiation to produce images of the body's functional processes. It is used to diagnose and monitor the progression of health conditions, such as cancer, epilepsy and heart disease.
The 1970s Onward
Magnetic resonance imaging technology was developed in 1972. The computerized axial tomography scanner, or CAT scan, was developed in 1982. This device produces cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of internal organs using images from multiple X-ray scans. In 1987, echo-planar imaging, or EPI, was used to perform real-time movie imaging of a single cardiac cycle. Together with an MRI, it can map regions of the brain responsible for thought and motor control, and provide early detection of acute stroke.
Tags: imaging technology, early detection
