It has been more than 100 years since Roentgen discovered X ray in 1895. During these 100 years, the development of imaging has experienced a process from the original analog imaging to the present digital imaging, which makes the present mode of reading film more suitable to our way of reading film, thus changing our working habits.

It has been more than 100 years since Roentgen discovered X ray in 1895. During these 100 years, the development of imaging has experienced a process from the original analog imaging to the present digital imaging, which makes the present mode of reading film more suitable to our way of reading film, thus changing our working habits. In 1917, Radon, an Australian mathematician, published his pluralism, suggesting the possibility of developing CT. From 1971 to 1972, CT was invented by Hounsfield in England and used in clinical practice.

Starting from cranial CT, this imaging technology has increasingly become an indispensable means for diagnosing diseases. In large general hospitals, the advantages of CT are becoming more and more prominent. The higher resolution and faster speed of the images make it possible to examine things that were previously impossible. As for the dynamic organs that cannot be examined before, CT with a speed of 0.27 seconds now makes the dynamic images that cannot be seen before can be seen. Not only that, with the improvement of tissue resolution and post-processing technology, the image becomes easier and easier to observe. Now, with the advent of 3D printers, there may be a fundamental change in clinical practice in the future, making it easier for clinicians to see these changes. And that change boils down to digital imagery.

In addition to CT, another technology that is increasingly playing a role in digital imaging is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 1946, American scholars Prcell and Bloch discovered the phenomenon of magnetic resonance, MRI began to be used in clinical practice in 1980. Early MRI images were not very clear, but they became clearer after the turn of the century.

The state of medical imaging

Through such a process from analog image to digital image, although now the analog image is still playing a role, but has basically realized the digitization. Although the number of specific tests (including all types of angiography) is increasing, their proportion of total tests remains low. Both MRI and CT show that the impact of image digitization on the future is not only limited to imaging equipment, but also lies in its change and subversion of our understanding of imaging, as well as the important position of imaging in medicine.

Integrated imaging diagnosis

Whether it is PET, PET/CT or PET/MRI, it is actually a fusion, and the fusion is fundamentally digital. Because digital information can be infinitely integrated, can be constantly added and subtracted, thus bringing us a leap in image. Such a large amount of information and a change in imaging methods actually allow us to integrate morphology, function and metabolism into a diagnostic model on the basis of the original. We can provide a lot of diagnostic information for the clinic, and that information can be refined down to the cellular level. Digital imaging has brought some changes to medical imaging diagnosis and even discipline.

Future development of imaging science

Imaging should return to large images in the future. Imaging will be from 2D-3D-4D anatomical morphology to functional images, and then show changes at the cellular and molecular level, so as to make the evaluation of diseases more complete and more specific. Information science - the development of electronics and computers, the convergence of PACS systems, remote transmission and "network imaging" will bring imaging back to the big picture. The diagnostic mode of imaging will also develop from qualitative to quantitative image analysis. In addition, the development of interventional therapy and its integration with minimally invasive treatment and surgery.

Information and Networking

What is the change from analog to digital? That will lead to information and network concepts. From the time we are born, we have the basic network, including our home, school and so on. And with the advent of the telephone and other communication tools, we have the finite network. Now, on the basis of the finite network, there is the infinite network. The infinite network is very important for the communication of information. The powerful function of wireless network to transmit digital information promotes the development of medical imaging, which gives us PACS. Through PACS, we can carry out a series of image processing, we can find a kind of disease through time and database, and we can fuse different images together. This convergence has spawned a number of fringe disciplines and changed our traditional mode of reading films. One of the fundamental changes that these changes have brought to us is the sharing of images. And sharing is the network characteristic and advantage. In reality, it is often protected and closed management, resulting in the image information is not shared at all. In order for PACS to be fully utilized, sharing has a lot of potential, and a lot of work to be done. Only by integrating the independent and imaging department PACS into RIS and HIS can PACS play a greater application value. Because there is no RIS, HIS PACS is just an electronic film library.

The establishment of expert database and the emergence of remote imaging diagnosis

In the past, imaging doctors relied on images, readings, books or articles they had seen to improve their diagnostic skills. This was essentially building up an expert image library in the brain to conduct comparative studies. By comparison and purification of PACS, it is easy to establish the image expert database system, which will greatly improve the overall diagnostic level.

With the improvement of network technology, remote imaging diagnosis will become possible when transmission speed is not a bottleneck. The subsequent emergence of free network diagnostic doctors, for hospitals, will save the personnel welfare, training, management, housing and other investment in imaging doctors. And the doctors who are qualified for online diagnosis can complete all the examination reports that do not need on-the-spot operation in the hospital, which greatly saves the expense and improves the level of imaging diagnosis.

With the further development of network construction, firstly, the network connection of hospitals within and between cities through network consultation will greatly improve the level of imaging diagnosis, so that different hospitals have the same level of imaging diagnosis. Especially in remote areas and rural areas, through the construction of telemoradiology and e-hospital, the high-level medical services of the country and even the world can be shared, so as to significantly improve the medical level of patients in remote areas.

conclusion

Today, digital medical images have completely replaced analog images, information - network has become an indispensable means and platform. Medical image informationization provides fast and accurate image diagnostic information for clinical use. In addition, medical image informatization makes remote diagnosis possible and provides a platform for excellent medical resources to serve more people. Medical image informatics has established an indispensable platform for clinical research and health economics research.