Posted on: 24/04/2024

The beginning of medical imaging technology.

About the earliest forms of technologies for visualizing the internal organs of the human body. The modern tradition of medical imaging dates back to 1985, although it is said that the technique of passing light through body parts, known as transillumination, was used in ancient times. In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen conducted an experiment in his laboratory. His experiment was in a dark room. Rontgen was studying cathode rays, which are streams of electrons emitted when an electric current is passed through a vacuum tube. Roentgen noticed a dull green glow emanating from a barium platinocyanide-coated plate placed some distance away in his room. The passage between the tube and the plate was blocked with black paper. So this ray of light intrigued him. He observed more about its origin. He discovered that the tube produced a new type of invisible radiation that could pass through opaque materials into visible light. He named this radiation "X-ray" because of its unknown nature. In December 1895, he published a paper on X-rays entitled "On a New Kind of Race". The first X-ray taken was of the hand of Conrad Röntgen's wife. Human bone imaging was created, including all the bones in her hand and her wedding ring. The discovery of X-rays revolutionized medicine. By 1896, doctors were using X-ray technology to diagnose fractures and identify foreign bodies lodged in the body. Recognizing the immense potential of X-rays, the medical community initiated rapid further research in the field of medical imaging. Thomas Edison is credited with creating the first practical fluoroscope. He actively researched X-ray luminous objects. In 1896, Edison built a device that incorporated a fluorescent screen. It was the first practical fluoroscopy for medical imaging which turned X-rays into real-time visualization, allowing real-time observation of the inside of the body. Ultrasound technology, which uses sound waves to create images of the internal structures of the body, especially moving organs such as the heart, was first used in the 1940s. The invention of ultrasound scanning is the result of many researchers and an advancement over time. The idea of using sound waves to detect abnormalities dates back to the 18th century. Dr. Ian Donald is known as the pioneer of medical ultrasound. Individuals such as Hellmuth Hertz, Joseph Holmes, Douglas Howry, John Wilde, John Reed, Inge Elder, etc. have made significant contributions in the 1940s and 50s in developing modern ultrasound technology.