When we look back over the history of medicine and technology, it’s truly amazing to see what has been accomplished in a relatively short time. Medical breakthroughs like the smallpox vaccine and blood transfusions have saved billions of lives. Without these kinds of advancements, we wouldn’t be able to treat a large number of potentially fatal conditions.

Today, some of the most exciting medical advancements are in digital imaging. Medical imaging has been one of the most important developments in the field in the last 200 years, and advanced tools are making imaging safer and more effective. Imaging helps with diagnostics and treatment planning, and can include CT, MRI, x-ray and ultrasound technology. Technology is always improving as researchers work to reduce radiation patients are exposed to and produce images that are clearer and easier to read.

Some of the recent breakthroughs in imaging include the PET-CT for cancer screening and surgical planning, magnetic particle imaging (3-D visualizations), CT angiography (CTA) for imaging blood vessels, PET-MRI fusion technology, and digital mammography for safer mammograms. For more information about these exciting modern medical imaging innovations, take a look at the below infographic from the University of Cincinnati’s Radiation Science Technology program.