A Historical Look at Medical Imaging Research: The Discovery of X-ray - Assignment Example

The discovery of X-ray The year 1995 has seen a unique celebration and that has been 100 years of the discovery of the modern x-ray. Professor Wilhelm Roentgen from the University of Wurzburg in Germany on November 8, 1895 had noticed some unexplained results. (Fred Van Gelderen, 2004) The discovery of x rays in 1895 was the beginning of a revolutionary change in our understanding of the physical world. (Fred Van Gelderen, 2004) The results has been received when conducting experiments on a cathode ray tube and the cathode tube has been called the crookes tube and the experiment has been noticed when conducted on a plate that has been covered with barium platinocynaide.The tube had began to glow and he was confused to call them and he started the discovery as x-rays. The x has been standing for something of unknown quantity. The primary discovery has been meant for more discovery and the secondary experiments has been done to define the property of x-ray. The first clinical radiograph has been produced on the year 1895 and the image that has been taken was the radiograph of the wife hand and Roentgen received the first Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901. (Fred Van Gelderen, 2004) Roentgen has been giving the preliminary report to the Wurzburg physical medical society and that has been accompanied by experimental radiographs and the image of his wife hand. The image had a bearing of ring on the right hand and the printed reports has been send across Europe and the year 1896 saw the world has been gripped by x-ray mania and that Roentgen has been acclaimed as discover of medical miracle and Roentgen has been awarded the first Nobel prize for physics in the year 1901. (Fred Van Gelderen, 2004) Today, the field of radiology is a comprehensive medical specialty which is not just limited to diagnostic imaging using x-rays, ultrasound, MRI, etc, but also constitutes interventional treatment methods such as angiography, angioplasty, radio frequency ablation, remobilization etc. Particularly, in the treatment of vascular diseases and cancer, interventional radiology has become an effective and minimally invasive therapeutic approach. (Fred Van Gelderen, 2004) The public was interested in the new discovery that could be new form of photography and they were curious to understand more about the nature of the new rays. The Physicians of those eras has been curious to put it to immediate use. The discovery of x rays was the first in a series of three discoveries and that has been the x rays, uranium rays, and the electron. (Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997) Radiologic technology has been considered as the unavoidable part of modern medicine. The field has evolved a long way from the discovery of X-rays, and the current scenario includes radiation therapy and nuclear medicine. Technicians are subjective to evolve along with the technology and should be having many skills that contribute to successful patient diagnosis and treatment. (Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997) X-rays has been considered as a normal thing until it led to the death of a patient and the it has been used in a safe manner. (Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997) The significance of x-ray Radiological technology has been considered as an important discovery because it has been used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that has been affecting the human body and the advantage of using this technology has been that it has allowed doctors to see inside the inside of the human body in ways that were never possible before the invention of radiological imaging equipment. Doctors can not only use radiology to see still images, but they can view organs working in real time. Radiology has been used treat and diagnoses the heart disease and cancer. It has been used to children that are still in the womb or for pregnant mothers. Without the use of radiology, emergency care would be in trouble and that can cause death. (Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997) X-rays would be emitting electromagnetic rays on a part of the body. The rays would be passing through the air and fat but will not be passing through dense body parts that can be classified as bone and tumors. That would be making the x-ray film behind the body part to become exposed and that would be dependent on parts that were struck by the x-rays. The x-ray radiological test has been used extensively to diagnose complications of the heart, lungs and bones. The other type has been fluoroscopy that has been used to view body parts on a television screen and that has been done by swallowing or injecting a liquid that is radioactive. The use of these types of tests has been to evaluate the function of the intestines, heart, blood vessels and urinary tract. The radioactive liquid would be also used to make abnormal masses of tissue that would be showing up more easily. (Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997) CT scans, short for computed tomography, has been using x-rays and to show the 3D images of the body. This type of radiological test has been used in emergency situations where time could be considered a critical factor. There have been examples that would include blood clots, rupture of the appendix and internal bleeding. CT scans could be relied upon to provide quick and accurate diagnoses. (Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997) The growth of radiology has seen the development of Ultrasound that would be sound waves to make a picture of soft tissues of the body. This has been the best method for seeing unborn babies growth inside the body of mother and it has the added advantage of not using dangerous x-rays that would be harmful to the fetus. Ultrasound has been used for many other things that would include determining the gender of the child and detected any developmental abnormalities. MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, has been using magnetic fields to manipulate radio signals and that would be creating a picture of the body's internal structures. MRI has been the preferred radiological imaging that would be helping to see the body in different planes. MRI would be showing the best pictures of soft tissues and that has been often used to diagnose abnormalities in muscle, bone and the nervous system. Nuclear medicine has been using radioactive liquids that would be injected to body to know about illness or disease that has been related to the function of organs and body systems. Nuclear medicine has been used to determine stages of cancer, heart function and blood flow. This can be used for scanning the bone. Since Roentgen's discovery of the x-ray in 1895, the field of radiology has greatly evolved. Radiation has been used for cancer therapy after the discovery of x-ray. The initial 50 years of radiology, the x-ray, or plain radiography, was the only type of radiology that has been used and available. There was change in the year of 1930.That had seen the growth of tomography. That had allowed the picture of small slices of the body to be photographed. Tomography has been the main pillar of diagnostic radiology and that has been continuing till 1972. Ultrasound technology has been available and that has been providing 2 D images and that has been converted to 3 D images. Radiological imaging has been used as computer technology advances and teleradiology, the transmission of radiological images has been moving from one place to another, and that would allow allows images taken one place to be read by a radiologist from another place. (Richard B. Gunderman, 1998) The risk when it comes to radiology Radiology has been considered as safe. There would be certain risks that would be accompanying the medical procedures. Radiology risk would include the risk to radiation. That can lead to cancer in certain situations. There are some procedures like the MRIs, that would be requiring a person to be confined in a room and condition like claustrophobia would be preventing a person from being able to finish the procedure. The radiation procedures would be dangerous for women who are pregnant. Fetuses can suffer illness and deformity if exposed to excess radiation. (Richard B. Gunderman, 1998) Radiology has been normally divided into two fields: diagnostic and therapeutic radiology. Diagnostic radiology has been used to diagnose conditions and utilizes many different forms of imaging. This type of radiology would be helping doctors to diagnose and treat conditions by allowing them to look inside the human body. Therapeutic radiology has been considered as a separate field and that would be utilizing radiology in treating cancer and other medical conditions. Normally this radiology can help treat and even cure various forms of cancer. It is also used to treat medical conditions where the immune system attacks the body. (Richard Thomas, 2009) Conclusion X-rays are important in diagnosing many disease processes, bone injuries and dental conditions. X-rays has been used for a variety of other functions that would be less famous than their medical application. The one is astronomy. Stars and other celestial bodies release substantial amount of X-rays that could not be invisible to the naked eye. These X-rays would be detectable to certain instruments and that could be used to put together an important part of the picture of the universe. X-rays would be used in crystal and microscopic analysis. (Richard B. Gunderman, 1998) Medical X-ray technology has been development of the separate work of Philipp Lenard and Thomas Edison. X-rays has been form of electromagnetic radiation. They are normally placed between gamma and ultraviolet on the spectrum. Their penetrating power has been useful in diagnostic medicine, for which they are best known, but they also have a variety of other uses. (Richard B. Gunderman, 1998) Radiology has been used in medical techniques. There has been, especially those that could be said as minimally invasive, involving careful guidance of instruments through areas of the body that are not visible. Interventional radiology involves helping guide these techniques. Special fluorescent markers, ultrasound and MRI can be used to assist in such procedures as angiograms and angioplasty. Some aspects of radiology could be used as a form of treatment. Ultrasound would be making use of high frequency sound waves that could be in turn used to break up and disrupt blockages, like kidney stones. Additionally, radiation therapy is a commonly used to treat cancer and is done under the supervision of an oncology radiologist. Nobel Prize and X-ray 1901:W. C. Rontgen, in physics, for the discovery of X-rays. 1914:M. von Laue, in physics, for the discovery of X-rays by crystals 1915:W. H. Bragg and W. L. Bragg, in physics, for the determination of crystal structures using X-rays. 1917:C. G. Barkla, in physics, for the discovery of the characteristic X-ray radiation of the elements. 1924:M. Siegbahn, in physics, for discoveries in the field of X-ray spectroscopy. 1936:P. Debye, in chemistry, for determining molecular structures by X-ray diffraction in gases. (Nobelprize.org) Reference Nobelprize.org, 2009, viewed on September 23, 2009 retrieved from http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/x-rays/discoveries-1.html Richard Thomas, 2009, viewed on September 23, 2009, retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_4672601_why-xrays-important.html Fred Van Gelderen, 2004, a brief history of radiology, Understanding X-rays: a synopsis of radiology, 597-603 Kathy J. Scheffer, Richard S. Tobin, 1997,""X-ray technology”, Better X-ray interpretation, pp.18-36 Richard B. Gunderman, 1998, pediatric radiology, Essential radiology: clinical presentation, path physiology, and pp.458-513 Read More