Revealing Facts About The History Of The X-Ray (NAPSA)—Acloser look at Xray technology may reveal some surprising facts. The technology was discovered on Nov. 8, 1895 when Wilhelm Roentgen was experimenting with light phenomena. The first X-ray photograph was taken by Roentgen of his wife’s hand. He named the invention X-radiation, the X standing for unknown. When Roentgen won thefirst Nobel Prize in physics in 1901, Siemens (then known as Reiniger Gebbertt & Schall) introduced the first industrially manufactured Xray tubes for medical diagnostics. In 1900, the American Roentgen Ray Society was formed to help move the profession forward at an unprecedented rate—by 1905, many hospitals had X-ray rooms with designated physicians or technicians onstaff. The practice of radiology was strengthened in the 1960s, with the invention of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). By the early 1980s, MRIs were used to visualize abnormalities in the brain and spine. The mid-80s saw Computer Tomography establish itself as an important diagnostic tool and the advent of the PET/CT scanner in the late 1990s gave radiologists a nearly unencumbered view of the body. The scanner integrated PET and CT technologies into a single device. In 1999, the FDA approved the first digital flat-panel X-ray detector system, which married digital and X-ray technology. Besides ensuring visual sharpness, this system helps streamline workflow The Social Impact of X-Rays e When X-rays werefirst introduced peoplelined upfor one-hoursittings at coin-operated machinesto view the bones in their hands andfeet. e Affluent young womenhad X-rays taken ofthemselvesholding handswith their beloved. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the shoe-fitting X-ray unit was a common shoe store sales promotion device and nearly all stores had one. It wasestimated that there were 10,000 of these devices in use. By 1970, these units were banned in 33 states and regulated in 17 others. in already overburdened radiology facilities. This year, the FDA cleared a fully automated digital radiography system, which allows for thoracic and extremity scans, as well as emergency, trauma and pediatric applications. The new product from Siemens Medical Systemscalled the Axiom Aristos FX is equipped with organ specific programs. A high-efficiency, solid state detector provides high levels of image quality with reduced radiation noise. The system’s design allows vitually all radiographic exams to be done in one room, again increasingefficiency in radiology centers. The field of X-ray technology has made great strides in little more than a decade and the technology is expected to become even more ingrained in the everyday reality of modern medicine.
