DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY

Radiology has advanced from a scientific curiosity to a medical necessity. The traditional X-ray was first discovered in the late 19th century by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen.  “When Röntgen held a piece of lead in front of the electron-discharge tube, it blocked the rays, but he was shocked to see his own flesh glowing around his bones on the fluorescent screen behind his hand. He then placed photographic film between his hand and the screen and captured the world’s first X-ray image.”

During the 1980s, computed radiography was introduced to the diagnostic imaging technology. A digital X-ray uses minimal electromagnetic radiation to achieve a clear diagnostic image. Digital technology bypasses chemical processing to yield an immediate X-ray image.          

Here is a simplified description of the progress of each imaging modality, generally being tied to computer and software technology advances.