Radiology

1895 - Medical radiology has now existed for over a century. It all started in 1895 when Wilhelm Röntgen discovered x-rays

1903 - Most of the early x-ray work was performed by doctors and the departments were often combined with electro-therapeutic departments.

1918 - The radiographs were initially made onto glass photographic plates; George Eastman introduced film in 1918.

1920 - Gradually more and more of these lay x-ray operators were appointed, training courses were set up and the Society of Radiographers was formed in 1920.

1950 - In the 1950s came the development of the image intensifier and x-ray television.

1950 - Ultrasound started in the 1950s and gained popularity in the 1960s.

1920 - The American Society of Radiologic Technologists is the world's largest and oldest membership association for medical imaging technologists and radiation therapists. Founded in 1920, the ASRT now has more than 153,000 members. Its business office is located in Albuquerque, N.M.

1932 - when the association changed its name to the American Society of X-Ray Technicians, membership had reached nearly 400. Membership figures remained stable through the Depression, but surged following World War II when hundreds of military-trained radiographers returned home from the war to find jobs in civilian hospitals. The rapid increase in membership prompted the society to hire its first full-time staff person, Genevieve Eilert.

1946 - the ASXT established its offices in the basement of Mrs. Eilert's home in Fond du Lac, Wis.

1948 - ASXT membership climbed to 2,500 in 1948

1952 - membership reached 4,000 in 1952.

1964 - the association changed its name from the American Society of X-Ray Technicians to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

1968 - ASRT asked the federal government to establish standards regulating the licensure of radiologic technologists.

1970 - only four states licensed radiologic technologists.

1979 - nine states licensed radiologic technologists.

1981 - Congress passed the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act.

1995 - 33 states had enacted licensure laws for radiographers, 28 licensed radiation therapists and 21 licensed nuclear medicine technologists.

1969 - Original Concept
Damadian Conceives of and proposes whole body MR scanner for the first time.

1970- Key Discovery Makes MR Scanner Possible
Damadian identifies T1/T2 differences between cancer and normal. He was seeking an MR signal difference in an important disease (cancer) that would prove his idea of an MR body scanner was a goal worth pursuing.

1970 - “Real-time” ultrasound machines were introduced in the late 1970s

1970- Key Discovery Makes MR Scanner Possible
Damadian identifies T1/T2 differences between cancer and normal. He was seeking an MR signal difference in an important disease (cancer) that would prove his idea of an MR body scanner was a goal worth pursuing.

September 1971 - Gradient Method Proposed
Lauterbur notebook proposal of gradient methods of Gabillard, Purcell & Carr for 1-dimension (incomplete) scan method.

Spring 1971 - Scanning Method Proposed
Damadian outlines voxel-by-voxel scanning method.

March 1972 - First Patent Filed
Damadian files '832 patent for 3-dimension voxel-by-voxel scan method and T1/T2 method. Issued in '74.

March 1973 - 2D Paper Published
Lauterbur paper published in Nature, March 16, 1973.

1974 - 3D Scan Method Proposed
Garroway, Grannell & Mansfield publish 3-dimension scan method.

1975 - Phase Coding Introduced
Kumar, Welti & Ernst introduce phase encoding to scan method.

1977 - First Human Scan Achieved
Damadian and coworkers, Minkoff and Goldsmith, achieve first scan (image) of the human body utilizing voxel method of patent.

1977 - Work was progressing on magnetic resonance imaging in the 1970s and the first human image was obtained in Aberdeen in 1977.

On July 3, 1977, the first MRI body exam was performed on a human being (the first human scan was performed by Sir Peter Mansfield's team in Nottingham a year earlier, on fellow author Andrew Maudsley’s finger).

2005 - MPI is a tomographic imaging technique that detects the magnetic properties of iron-oxide nanoparticles injected into the bloodstream to produce threedimensional images.

2007 - PET-MRI hybrids, which first appeared in 2007 in a clinical setting, provide more detail than each of the systems does on its own.

2012 - colleagues used the new scanner to perform CT angiographies — which look for plaque buildup or other problems in the coronary arteries

2015 - At RSNA 2015, Toshiba introduced its Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) sequence for dedicated pulmonary MRI.

2017 - Mandatory medical licensure, optional certification from the American Board of Radiology (ABR) or the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology (AOBR).

2019 - Specialty radiology fellowship is required for certification (1-2 years).

2023 - 4-year radiology residency