Medical imaging
Technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention.
Last updated
Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0
Medical imaging is a sub-discipline of biomedical engineering, medical physics, or medicine depending on the research context.[1] Worldwide, the total number of medical imaging studies performed had surpassed 5 billion by the year 2010.[2][3] In 2006, medical imaging procedures were responsible for roughly half of all ionizing radiation exposure experienced by the U.S. population.[2][3][4]
Quick Facts
- Known for
- Imaging interior of body for diagnosis and treatment
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
The CT method projects X-rays through a section of the human head, and a computer reconstructs the cross-sectional image.[5] Medical imaging equipment uses technology from the semiconductor industry, including CMOS integrated circuit chips and various processors.[2][3] Annual shipments of medical imaging chips reached 46 million units in 2015.[6] Godfrey Hounsfield, an engineer working for the British firm EMI, created the first X-ray computed tomography scanner intended for head examinations in 1972.[5]
By 1975, EMI had managed to produce a CT scanner capable of imaging the entire human body.[5] The 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Hounsfield and physicist Allan Cormack for their work on this imaging technique.[5] An analysis from 2016 described the medical imaging manufacturing sector as both oligopolistic and mature.[7]
What the cited sources add
The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements reported that in 2006, medical exposure constituted nearly half of the total radiation exposure of the U.S. population.[4] The NCRP report stated that CT scans and nuclear medicine procedures contributed 36 percent of total radiation exposure and 75 percent of medical radiation exposure.[4] The same analysis indicated that ultrasound typically costs less than CT and MRI, and healthcare reform may favor its wider adoption.[6] A 2022 PRWeb announcement stated that SpinTech MRI received FDA 510(k) clearance for STAGE 2.0 software with CROWN noise reduction technology.[8]
That announcement noted that STAGE 2.0 reduces brain scan times by 30% while increasing image clarity.[8] According to a 2016 analysis, the market for semiconductors used in medical imaging expanded at an 8.2 percent compound annual growth rate over five years, with unit shipments rising from 46 million in 2015 to 73 million in 2020.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Medical imaging" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Medical Image Fusion: A survey of state of the art", Information Fusion, 2014, p. 4–19 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Medical imaging" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Radiation-reduction strategies in cardiac computed tomographic angiography", Clinical Radiology, November 2010, p. 859–67; "Medical Radiation Exposure Of The U.S. Population Greatly Increased Since The Early 1980s", National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements, March 5, 2009; "Medical Imaging Chip Global Unit Volume To Soar Over the Next Five Years", Silicon Semiconductor, 8 September 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Medical imaging" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Radiation-reduction strategies in cardiac computed tomographic angiography", Clinical Radiology, November 2010, p. 859–67; "Pancreatic tumors imaging: An update", International Journal of Surgery, April 2016, p. S142-55; "Multiparametric MR Imaging of Breast Cancer", Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinics of North America, February 2016, p. 223–238; "Medical Imaging Chip Global Unit Volume To Soar Over the Next Five Years", Silicon Semiconductor, 8 September 2016; "Multiparametric magnetic resonance for the non-invasive diagnosis of liver en.wikipedia.org
- "Medical Radiation Exposure Of The U.S. Population Greatly Increased Since The Early 1980s", National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements, March 5, 2009. facts only, no text reused. sciencedaily.com
- Wikipedia, "Medical imaging" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gonzalez, "Digital Image Processing", Prentice Hall, 2008, p. 23–28; "Space Technology Hall of Fame:Inducted Technologies/1994", Space Foundation, 1994 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Medical Imaging Chip Global Unit Volume To Soar Over the Next Five Years", Silicon Semiconductor, 8 September 2016. facts only, no text reused. siliconsemiconductor.net
- Wikipedia, "Medical imaging" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kincaid, "Want Fries With That? A Brief History Of Medical MRI, Starting With A McDonald's", Forbes; Russell, "Medical Imaging"; "Top ten diagnostic imaging device manufacturers", Verdict Hospital, 2012-10-30; "The €32 billion diagnostic imaging market at a crossroads", healthcare-in-europe.com; "Fischer Medical Ventures makes India's first indigenous MRI system", www.business-standard.com; "From shadows to clarity – X-ray imaging in medicine and beyond", 2025-07-29 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "SpinTech MRI Announces FDA 510(k) Clearance and Availability for STAGE 2.0 with CROWN Noise Reduction for Faster Brain Scans and Greater Image Clarity", PRWeb. facts only, no text reused. prweb.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Medical imaging (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Science & Measurement
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Medical imaging (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced