Technology Needs in Medical Imaging

Advances in technology make it possible to extend the range of physical and chemical tissue parameters used for formation of images. This in turn adds to the capabilities to diagnose disease and assess its extent. Quantitative improvements in instrumentation augment the fidelity with which the imaging is performed, and at a certain point provide a quantum jump in diagnostic capability. We discuss recent technological advances in digital radiography, NMR and nuclear medicine imaging that demonstrate these effects.