3.1. Generalities. In 1895, Roentgen discovered X-rays and pioneered medical
imaging. His initial publication [82] contained a radiograph (i.e. an X-ray generated
photograph) of Mrs. Roentgen’s hand; see Figure 3.1(b). For the first time, it was
possible to visualize non-invasively (i.e., not through surgery) the interior of the
human body. The discovery was widely publicized in the popular press and an “Xray
mania” immediately seized Europe and the United States [30, 47]. Within only
a few months, public demonstrations were organized, commercial ventures created
and innumerable medical applications investigated; see Figure 3.1(a). The field of
radiography was born with a bang1!