Wilhelm Röntgen discovered x-rays in 1895, and soon after in 1986, Thomas Edison developed the first fluoroscope. These advancements marked the beginning of medical imaging. Radiology's timeline has several key milestones such as the introduction of film in 1918, ultrasound in 1955, computed tomography in 1967, and MRI in 1972.
The Department of Radiology at the The Ohio State University has a long history of leadership in imaging. In the early years it was likely a division of the Department of Surgery. It formally appeared as a distinct department in the College of Medicine in 1947.
The first Radiology Chairman was Dr. Hugh Means who took office in 1947, when the department began offering electives to medical students.
A towering figure in the department was Dr. William G. Myers, a pioneer in Nuclear Medicine. He was known as the "godfather of cyclotron", and he introduced 11 radioisotopes including cobalt-60 for the treatment of cancer. In 1952, he introduced Gold-198 for permanent seed implantation, contributing to his legacy as a leader in radioactive isotope application in medicine.
In the 60s Dr. Sidney W. Nelson became the Chairman. He was a prominent recognized radiologist nationally, holding positions including President of the Association of University Radiologist in 1965-66, and an examiner of the American Board of Radiology. Another milestone was when the department hosted the 16th annual meeting of the Association of University Radiologists in 1968. Progress in the department continued when Dr. A Feimanis, A J Christoforidis and D. G. Spigos were Department Chairmen and Dr. Reinhard Gahbauer, Dr. John Olsen, and Dr. Charles Mueller were Division heads. Their contributions will be discussed in future posts.
The 1980s, the 1990s and the early years of the new century it was a period of technological advancements. The department continued to lead in neuroimaging bringing the first 1.5T MRI in Ohio which was a precursor to the development of the first ultra-high-field 8 Tesla MRI unit in the world. It also was leader in Ultrasound and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology . In the 1990 and the department expanded to include digital imaging and PACS (picture archiving and communication software) and tele-radiology.
This post is dedicated to Drs. Meyers and Nelson, whose hard work and innovations served as the cornerstones for the department's growth in the decades that followed.
