The History of Radiographers

A radiographic image is an image produced on a radio-sensitive material. Film is often used to produce these images. X-Rays and fluoroscopic images are radiographic images. X-Ray images give doctors a look at the internal systems of their patients. Radiographers are the technicians who take the images.

Origin

• Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923), a college professor at Wuerzburg University, is credited with the discovery of X-Rays in 1895. One of the earliest examples of radiography was a picture of the hand of Roentgen's wife, Bertha. Roentgen won a Nobel Prize for his efforts in 1901.

Medical Use

• Within six months, radiography had moved from discovery to implementation as the new technology began to be used by battlefield medics to find bullets lodged in wounded soldiers. From 1895 to 1912, radiography was used almost exclusively by the fields of medicine and dentistry.

Industrial Use

• 1913 was the beginning of radiography for industrial use; this began when William Coolidge invented the high vacuum X-Ray tube. The next development to really impact industry was the invention of the 200,000-volt X-Ray tube in 1922. This development enabled efficient imaging of steel parts. In 1931, the 1,000,000-volt X-Ray generator was produced by General Electric for use in industrial radiography.

Modern Radiography

• Modern radiography is much the same as it was in the 1800s. The same techniques are used to capture the images. The biggest changes have been in the areas of image quality and definition. Film processing over the years has become a more exact art with consistent results that allow doctors and industrial workers access to clearer images.