Computed Tomography

The emergence of CT scan would not have been possible if not for the discovery of X-rays by Roentgen in 1895. CT was invented in 1972 by British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield of EMI Laboratories, England, and independently by South African born physicist Allan Cormack of Tufts University, Massachusetts. Hounsfield was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and honored with Knighthood in England for his contributions to medicine and science. However, it was not until the end of 19th century that the first CT scanners were installed. There are now over than 30,000 installed worldwide.

During the initial phase of introduction (1974-1976), the device was used only for imaging the head. It soon became possible to image the entire body by the end of 1980's. This was materialized by the parallel technological advancements in the field of radiology.

Looking back at the 25 year old history of the CT scan, there has been a significant improvement in terms of the speed, patient comfort and the amount of information obtained from the CT scan.

CT exams are now quicker and more patient friendly than ever before. Tremendous research and development has been made to provide excellent image quality for diagnostic confidence at the lowest possible x-ray dose to both the patient and the radiographer. In addition, CT gives a remarkable definition of the anatomy when compared to ultrasound or conventional X-ray.