The computer revolution in medical imaging systems: Computers have become an essential part of medical imaging, where their many uses include control of hardware and image enhancement and generation

During the past eight years computers have revolutionized medical imaging technology, playing a major role in the control of electronic hardware and in the enhancement and generation of images of the interior of a patient's body. Today microcomputers, minicomputers, or both can be found in a variety of medical imaging systems, including X-ray radiography, fluoroscopy, and tomography, and nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance systems. The specific manner in which a computer carries out its functions in any of these systems varies depending on the type of system and the manufacturer. However, a generic examination of these functions as they apply to the first three systems mentioned will provide a good idea of the overall application of computers in medical imaging.