Evolution of Radiology and its Applications

The evolution of radiology has big stories behind it, many scientists worked hard day and night to make us stand where we are today.

It is great to deal with the present advanced technologies but at the same time, the history of radiology is amazingly great and must be narrated for its well-deserved appreciation.

The big day of discovery

On Sunday, November 8 1895 Wilhelm Roentgen, a German physics professor, opened a window for the entire healthcare fraternity to look inside the human body with the discovery of the x-ray. Within two weeks of his discovery, he produced the first x-ray image of a human being, showing the bones of his wife Bertha’s hand. This also made the foundation of radiology, as one of the medical specialties which didn’t exist before, hard to believe but this was the reality. 

Roentgen received numerous accolades for his discovery including the very first Nobel prize in physics in 1901.

During the 1920s and 1930s, many organizations came into existence which focused on radiology and its developments.

The pioneers who lead the foundation of radiology  

1896 – Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity

1896 – Thomas Alva Edison invented the first commercially available fluoroscope

1913 – Albert Salmon – mammography 

1927 – Egas Moniz – cerebral angiography

1950 – David e.kuhl invented PET

1953 – Sven Ivar Seldinger – Seldinger technique

1957 – Ian Donald – ultrasound 

1964 – Charles Dotter – image guided intervention 

1972 – Godfrey Hounsfield & Allan m.Conmarck – CT 

1977 – Raymond Vahan Damadian – MRI scanner

From 1920 to 1980 the healthcare sector witnessed the development of basic radiology, which is still getting better and advanced with the latest technologies.

Later in 1990 radiology expanded the spectrum with the advent of teleradiology which completely changed the face of radiology. In1994, the very first successful teleradiology link was established between Saudi Arabia and Massachusetts. 

What is teleradiology?

Teleradiology is a mode through which radiological images taken at one place can be transferred to another place for interpretation or research.

While practicing teleradiology a radiologist can do reporting without being present physically, this key feature has benefitted the healthcare system globally by providing the patients with radiologists and their services throughout the day 24/7.

Future of radiology

As the technology is advancing the report for which the patients once had to wait for days can now be available within a few minutes or seconds and unlike the previous huge files of images now touchscreens can solve the whole purpose.