The X-Ray Page

The field of radiography has had a positive and tremendous impact on society since its discovery. It is used widely in medical settings as a diagnostic tool. It is also used in industrial settings for such things as security and food inspection. Advances in radiographic detection over the past few decades have contributed significantly to early disease detection and subsequent treatment. 

 

X-rays

Radiography first began when x-rays were discovered in the late 1800s. They were named after Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen and also go by the name Rontgen rays. They were labeled x-rays because at the time they were discovered they were an unknown type of ray. It was later determined that x-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation.

X-rays are now commonly used in both medical and industrial applications. In a medical setting, it is used to visualize bones and organs inside the body. An example of an industrial application of x-ray use is the baggage scanners at airports.

An x-ray picture is produced when a beam of x-rays is projected toward an object. The x-rays are absorbed in differing intensities by different areas of the object based upon the composition and density of the object’s areas. The x-rays then are captured by a detector such as a digital detector or film.

A venogram is a type of x-ray exam that is used to obtain pictures of blood flow through veins. It is done by injecting contrast material into the veins so that they can be visualized on an x-ray picture. Venography is used to examine the veins and can be used to look for blood clots; to help with placement of IVs, stents, catheters, and filters; and to find healthy veins for use in bypass surgery.

An angiogram is an x-ray exam that is used to obtain pictures of blood flow through arteries and also veins. It uses contrast material and a camera to capture the blood flow images onto x-ray film or as digital images on a computer. Angiograms are used to look for aneurisms and blockage or narrowing of blood vessels. They can also show whether a person has coronary artery disease and to what extent.

A myelogram is an x-ray test that produces pictures of the bones in the spine and the areas between these bones. It uses contrast dye that is injected into the fluid-filled space surrounding the spinal cord to show the structures of the area. Myelograms are used to look for spinal stenosis, herniated disks, inflammation of the spinal cord, infections, tumors, and arm and leg numbness or pain.

An arthrogram is an x-ray test that shows images of a joint. Using ultrasound or fluoroscopy, a needle is placed into a joint and then contrast dye is injected. Next, images of the joint may be obtained. Arthrograms may be used to identify problems in a joint or to assist in providing therapeutic medications to a joint.   

M.R.I.

Raymond Damadian was the first to produce a full magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the 1970s. MRI uses a magnetic field to align and manipulate the alignment of the body’s protons in a way that allows the scanner to visualize structures inside the body. It can be used to observe every part of the body and can help detect tumors, abnormalities of the heart and blood vessels, joint and muscle disorders, and neurological conditions. 

Ultrasound

The use of ultrasound in medical imaging dates back to the 1940s and is generally attributed to two scientists, Dr. Karl Theodore Dussik and Professor Ian Donald. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to detect structures in the body. A transducer is used to send out the sound waves and then picks up the reflected waves and converts them into a picture that can be viewed on a computer. Ultrasound is most often used in obstetrics for viewing growing fetuses but is also used to visualize internal organs, muscles, tendons, and to look for abnormalities of internal structures. 

CAT Scan

Sir Godfrey Hounsfield invented the first commercially viable CT scanner in the 1970s. CAT (computed axial tomography) scanning involves the use of electronic x-ray detectors that rotate around an object and measure how much radiation is absorbed. Special computers process the information received and use it to create cross-sectional images of the object being scanned. These image slices are then re-assembled by the computer program and produce highly detailed views of an object’s interior. In medical settings, CAT scans are widely used to study the head, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and other parts of the body. They are also a preferred method to check for the presence of cancer.

Mammography

Albert Salomon was the first person to use x-rays to study breast cancer. He is considered to be the inventor of breast radiology. The first mammography machine was invented in the 1960s. Prior to that, mammography was performed using standard x-ray machines. Mammography uses low-dose x-rays to examine the breast tissue, screening for abnormalities that may be used in the diagnosis of breast cancer.