Abstract
Roentgen’s photographs with the “new kind of rays” triggered a worldwide storm of
enthusiasm in all social circles. It was a stroke of luck that the photographic dry
plates available to him were also sensitive to invisible X-rays. The discovery, research
and utilization of X-rays are based on methods for making them visible, from fluorescent
screens to photographic plates and digital X-ray detectors. From this point of view,
this paper aims to outline the 125-year success story of X-ray imaging from its discovery
to the recent development of photon-counting detectors. The scientific-historical
view during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century reveals an impressive period of profound scientific and social upheaval in
which revolutionary discoveries and technological developments led to enormous progress
in medicine. The cross-fertilization of physics and medicine and their combination
with inventiveness, engineering and entrepreneurial spirit created the impressive
possibilities of today’s imaging diagnostics. This contribution accompanies the Roentgen
Lecture the author gave on November 13, 2020 in Roentgen’s birth house as part of
its inauguration and the closing ceremony of the 101st Congress of the German Roentgen Society in Remscheid-Lennep.
Key Points:
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The development of computed tomography was a milestone in the methodological advancement
of imaging with X-rays.
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In the detector pixel invisible X-rays are converted into digital electrical impulses,
which the computer uses to create images.
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Photon-counting detectors could have significant diagnostic advantages for clinical
applications.
Citation Format
Key words
CT - digital radiography - radiations - radiography
