X-Ray Timeline

First X-ray Image

The first ever X-Ray technology was named and discovered unintentionally by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen on November 8, 1895, testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass. He took the first ever X-ray image of his wife's hand, pictured to the left, showcasing the bones in her hand and her wedding ring (Tubiana, 1996). By the beginning of 1896, doctors around the world begin utilizing this novelty tool.

Coolidge X-ray tube

Shortly in 1913, William David Coolidge invented the Coolidge X-ray tube, making it possible to efficiently alter the number of electrons and their energy. This would allow for the intensity and energy of the x-rays to be controlled independently, as a high atomic number with good heat storage capacity is required for the production of X-rays (Zink, 1997). It served as a way of creating x-ray photons from the electric energy made in the generator.

Invention of Ultrasound

In 1956, Scottish Obstetrician Ian Donald and engineer Tom Brown generated what became known as the first prototype of an ultrasound. In the early 1900s, physicians had no way to see inside of a woman's uterus while pregnant, and so this creation of an ultrasound was able to scan and develop images to help doctors diagnose any complications. Ultrasound imaging was used to track fetal development and help prevent health problems when pregnant (Erjavic, 2018).

CT scanning machines

In 1967, British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield co-developed the first ever CT (Computed Tomography) scanner. It was highly successful, as it was a huge step toward the diagnosis of structural lesions in the brain, all while being less aggressive and invasive, compared to existing procedures (Bhattacharyya, 2016).

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner

In 1974, Edward J. Hoffman and Micheal E. Phelps invented the PET scanner to help detect cancers, heart disease, and other fatal illnesses. The PET scanner is able to show areas of your body where cells are more active in the body. This would be done by administering and tracking glucose-mimicking molecules into patients and spotting the cancer cells, which consume the glucose ("Positron Emission Tomography (PET)", 2021).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

On July 3, 1977, the first ever full body-scan exam was performed on a live human patient. MR imaging was invented by physician Raymond Damadian, who realized in 1970 that abnormal cancer cells had longer relaxation time lengths than normal cells. This led to his realization that a human-sized scanner would help diagnose diseases effectively, as tumors and normal tissues can be distinguished by nuclear magnetic resonance ("Who Invented the MRI?", 2020).

3-D Color X-Rays

The first ever colored 3D X-ray was derived from a New Zealand company, Mars Bioimaging. Their scanner is able to use information from the X-ray to produce colored 3D images, seperating different parts of the human tissue in detail, making vividly realistic models that can eventually help diagnose cancers and blood disease without the need of surgery (Baumgaertner, 2018). A 3D color image of a human ankle appears to the left, which shows the bone, muscle, connective tissue, and fat of the ankle.