Radiology - The X Ray: Fundamental Building Block Of Radiology, How The X Ray Works, Ultrasound
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Radiology is a branch of medical science that uses x rays and other forms of technology to image internal structures in the body. For nearly 80 years radiology was based primarily on the x ray, but since the 1970s several new imaging techniques have been developed. Some, like computed tomography, integrates x-ray and computer technology. Others, like ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are nonradiologic techniques, meaning they do not use x rays or other forms of radiant energy to probe the human body. Although radiotherapy based on the x ray has been used to treat cancer since the beginning of the 20th century, most radiologists are primarily concerned with imaging the body to diagnose disease. However, interventional radiology is a rapidly expanding discipline in which radiologists work either alone or hand-in-hand with surgeons to treat vascular and other diseases.
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The science of radiology was born in 1895 when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered the x ray. The German scientist was studying high voltage discharges in vacuum tubes when he noticed that the Crookes tube he was focusing on caused a piece of screen coated with the chemical barium platinocyanide to fluoresce or glow. Roentgen quickly realized that he had produced a previously unknown type of invisible rad…
X rays are a type of radiant energy that occurs when a tungsten (a hard metallic element) target is bombarded with an electron beam. X rays are similar to visible light in that they radiate in all directions from their source. They differ, however, in that x rays are of shorter wavelength than ultraviolet light. This difference is the basis of radiology since the shorter wavelength allows x rays t…
Except for ultrasound, from the day Roentgen discovered the x ray until the early 1970s, radiology relied solely on the application of x rays through refined radiographic techniques. These applications were limited by the x ray's ability to discern only four different kinds of matter in the body: air, fat, water (which helps make up tissue), and minerals (like bone). In addition, while the …
In 1972, radiology took a giant step forward with the development of computed tomography (CT). Although still relying on the x ray, this radiographic technique uses a computer to process the vast amount of data obtained from an electronically detected signal. Since different tissues will absorb different amounts of x rays, CT passes x-ray beams through the body at different angles on one specific …
Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dates back to 1946, it was used primarily to study atoms and molecules and to identify their properties. In 1978, the first commercial MRI scanner was available, but it was not until the 1980s that MRI became a useful tool for looking into the human body. MRI works by using a huge magnet to create a magnetic field around the patient. This field causes prot…
Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are two more technologies that rely on computers. PET has been used primarily to study the dynamics of the human body. In other words, not just to see images, but to understand the processes that go on in certain areas of the body. For example, radioisotopes (naturally occurring or artificially developed radi…
Interventional radiology is one of the more recent developments in radiology. As a subspecialty, it has evolved from a purely diagnostic application to a therapeutic specialty involving such procedures as balloon dilation of arteries, drainage of abscesses, removal of gallstones, and treatment of benign and malignant structures. Interventional radiologists, who often work closely with surgeons, us…
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