Development of the Computed Tomography
(CT) Scanner
Sue Edyvean
St. George’s Hospital, London
Development of CT
Computed Tomography
• Images ‘slices’ through the patient
– ‘Graphia’ – to write, to draw
– ‘Tomos’ – cut, incision, section
– ‘Computed’ – determined by mathematical methods
Development of CT
Development of the CT Scanner
• CT scanner developed at EMI Medical by Godfrey
Hounsfield
Development of CT
Development of the CT Scanner
• Prototype installed at Atkinson Morley’s Hospital,
Wimbledon, London
Development of CT
Development of the CT Scanner
• Support of Dr James Ambrose, Neuro-radiologist AMH
Godfrey Hounsfield, James Ambrose
Development of CT
Development of the CT Scanner
• 1st clinical scan 1st October 1971
Development of CT
British Journal of Radiology 1973 – three linked papers
• Godfrey Hounsfield – EMI, inventor of clinical CT 1971 (design)
– 1979 Nobel prize (jointly with Cormack)
• Dr. James Ambrose – Neuroradiologist AMH (clinical)
– Standing ovation at RSNA 1972
• Dr. BJ Perry – Head of Medical Physics SGH/AMH (radiation)
– Dosimetry and image quality, measurements and methods
Godfrey Hounsfield
Development of CT
James Ambrose
John Perry
(GH died Aug 12th 2004, JA died March 12th 2006)
CT scanner development 1971
• 2 x (8 – 10 mm), first dual slice scanner,
• 80 x 80 matrix
• 4 min per rotation
Development of CT
Early Clinical Images - AMH Scanner
• Data tapes sent away overnight for image reconstruction
• Paper (CT numbers) or polaroid (Scan numbers 200 and 215,
images A and B refer to the two slices imaged simultaneously)
Development of CT
CT scanner development 1971
• Scanner is now in the science museum
Development of CT
Godfrey Hounsfield – Nobel Speech 1979
Fig. 14 shows a picture from the experiment. The heart
chambers can be discerned by a little intravenous injected
contrast media.
A further promising field may be the detection of the
coronary arteries. …. It may be possible to detect these under special
conditions of scanning.
Development of CT
2010 Scanning the heart has become a reality
SOMATOM
Definition
Flash
Temp res. 75 ms
Coll. 128 x 0.6 mm
Spatial res. 0.33 mm
350 ms for 149 mm
Rotation 0.28 s
100 kV, 290 mAs/ rotation
0.90 mSv
Development of CT
Development of the CT Scanner
Development of CT