The Imtran Revolution, Telephone Transmission of X-Rays and Scans

Eleven years ago the CT scanner was introduced into medicine world-wide. The pictures were generated by video or digital type information (photographed on to paper or film) put together to make an anatomical picture. It was not of course simply for this aspect alone that it made its impact. We already had the isotope linear scaner and gamma camera generating pictures some of which were video outputs with digital information. The presentation of the material in a simple anatomical slice made it possible for surgeons to interpret the pictures without difficulty and to act directly as a result of making the diagnosis, particularly in emergencies. At first the CT scanners were confined to neurosurgical units but they slowly spread outwards to other centres. In this country