Radiologic Imaging Overview

Principles

Definition

Radiologic imaging is a methodological approach and research field focused on the generation, analysis, and interpretation of visual representations depicting the internal structure and function of objects, predominantly biological organisms. It encompasses a range of techniques utilizing various forms of radiation and energy, including X-rays, magnetic fields, and sound waves, to produce images essential for diagnosis, treatment planning, guidance of interventions, and fundamental research into anatomy, physiology, and pathology.

Ontological type

Imaging Modalities

Image Reconstruction

Safety and Dosimetry

Key developments

Key Figures

Quantitative Imaging Foundations era

Hal O. Anger (1958) developed the Anger scintillation gamma camera, enabling planar and early tomographic radionuclide imaging and establishing a quantitative foundation for isotope-based functional measurement. Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan Cormack's computed tomography work in the early 1970s provided quantitative reconstruction and image-quality metrics that complemented radioisotope methods. Michael E. Phelps and colleagues advanced tracer-based functional imaging and kinetic modeling in the 1960s–1970s, underpinning quantitative measurements and laying groundwork for PET. Across radiology and nuclear medicine, nascent computer-assisted analysis and automation began to integrate measurement with interpretation, as researchers formalized PSF, LSF, and MTF to guide instrument design and evaluation.

Digital Multimodality Integration era

Alec J. Megibow [1] worked across the University of Pennsylvania [2] and Washington University in St. Louis [3] during the Digital Multimodality Integration era (1980-2003). The paper Acute pancreatitis: value of CT in establishing prognosis [4] highlighted his contribution by showing that CT could provide prognostic information in acute pancreatitis, a finding that helped standardize imaging-based risk stratification within multimodality workflows. Alec J. Megibow [1] further shaped the field by advocating standardized CT protocols and promoting integration of cross-sectional imaging with functional assessment in pancreatology. These contributions by Alec J. Megibow [1] helped establish the practical infrastructure for interoperable, co-registered datasets that supported dose-conscious, multimodal diagnostics in the era.

Standardized Data-Driven Imaging era

Richard I. Fisher [1] is associated with Stanford University [3] and Johns Hopkins University [4] during this era of standardized imaging. His key contributions include shaping recommendations for initial evaluation, staging, and response assessment of Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the Lugano Classification [7], which bolstered cross-center comparability and reproducible imaging interpretation. Lawrence H. Schwartz [2] is linked to the Institute of Cancer Research [5] and Harvard University [6] in this era. As coauthor of the Lugano Classification [7], his work contributed to standardizing lymphoma imaging criteria and enabling multicenter data-driven assessments that underpin the era's reproducibility and evidence-based decision support.