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FONAR's Innovation Timeline

  • 1969

    Dr. Damadian at his desk in thought

    FIRST to propose the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) for scanning the human body for disease

  • 1970

    Dr. Damadian at scope

    FIRST to discover the enhanced NMR relaxations (T1/T2) of cancer tissue

    FIRST to propose the use of these enhanced NMR relaxations (T1/T2) for medical scanning.

  • 1971

    Publication Science Cover

    FIRST to report the enhanced NMR relaxations (T1/T2) of cancer tissue.

    FIRST to propose the use of these enhanced NMR relaxations (T1/T2) for medical scanning. (Science 171 (1971), 1151-1153)

    FIRST to discover the differences in T1 and T2 relaxation times that underpin tissue contrast in MRI images.

  • 1971

    Downstate Reporter

    First to announce plans to build a human sized scanner utilizing MRI. (Downstate Reporter, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Spring 1971)

  • 1972

    832 patent for MRI

    FIRST patent for the invention of cancer detection by NMR (U.S. Patent 3,789,832)

  • 1976

    FIRST MR image of a tumor in a live animal

    FIRST MR image of a tumor in a live animal

  • 1977

    FIRST to build human scanner - Indomitable FIRST MR image of a live human being

    FIRST to build human scanner - Indomitable (now in the Smithsonian)

    FIRST to build a superconducting scanner magnet

    FIRST MR image of a live human being (chest)

  • 1978

    FIRST MR image detecting cancerous tissue in a patient

    FIRST with Iron-Circuit™ technology magnets for MR

  • 1978

    First Company in MRI industry. Founded by Dr. Damadian and colleagues, the Company began with basis of the original patent filed in 1972, (Apparatus and Method for Detecting Cancer in Tissue). The Company was founded using technology pioneered by Dr. Damadian.

  • 1980

    FIRST MR image detecting cancerous tissue in a patient

    FIRST MR image detecting cancerous tissue in a patient

     

    FIRST with Iron-Circuit™ technology magnets for MR

     

    First Commercial MRI. The Company sold its first MRI scanner, the QED 80, to Dr. Ronald J. Ross and was placed in his Cleveland, Ohio facility. The technique used for obtaining T1 and T2 values was the FONAR technique (Field fOcusing Nuclear mAgnetic Resonance).

  • 1981 January

    First NMR scanner to commence clinical trials on humans

  • 1981 - First Clinical Trials of Diagnostic NMR

    Radiology-nuclear-medicine-mag-page1

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  • 1981

    FIRST to discover the abnormal T1 associated with mental illness (manic depression)

  • 1983

    FIRST mobile MR scanner

    FIRST mobile MR scanner

    FIRST Iron-Circuit™ electromagnet MR scanner

    FIRST mobile Iron-Circuit™ MR scanner

    FIRST solenoid surface coils

  • 1984

    FIRST to introduce parallel processing for scan acquisition & image viewing

    FIRST oblique MR images

    FIRST rotating multi-slice cursor

    FIRST to introduce laser disc technology for MRI archiving

    FIRST to achieve 512X512 pixel density

    FIRST to achieve 1,000,000 pixels (1024X1024)

    FIRST to achieve images resolution of 125 microns

  • 1985

    Multi-Angle Oblique scanning protocol

    FIRST FDA approval for a mobile MR scanner

    FIRST Multi-Angle Oblique™ scanning protocol

  • 1986

    FIRST total body scanning and screening system

    FIRST self-tuning, self-calibrating MRI system

    FIRST Multi-Echo/Multi-Rep Rate™ scanning protocol

    FIRST total body scanning and screening system

    FIRST MRI-dedicated archiving and retrieving network system

    FIRST mobile MR scanner to service two separate hospital sites in the same day on a regular basis

    FIRST interventional MRI (performed at UCLA with a FONAR scanner)

  • 1987

    FIRST laser disk “jukebox

    FIRST to develop CRISP-MR™ imaging

    FIRST turban head and body coil

    FIRST MRI simulator for teaching and training

    FIRST laser disk “jukebox”

    FIRST high-performance viewing station (1024X1024 display)

    FIRST film archiving system

    FIRST document reader and laser archiving system

    FIRST multi-modality archiving system

    FIRST microwave network for remote image transmission

    FIRST self-perfecting MRI photographic reproduction system

  • 1988

    FIRST satellite networking system for remote image transmission

    FIRST MR company to custom design and manufacture trailers for mobile MR scanners

    FIRST satellite networking system for remote image transmission

  • 1989

    FIRST fiber-optic cardiac-gated imaging

    FIRST Open Gap™ patient environment

    FIRST fiber-optic cardiac-gated imaging

    FIRST high-performance Corona™ Coils

  • 1990

    FIRST high signal-to-noise ULTIMATE coils

    FIRST high signal-to-noise ULTIMATE™ coils

    FIRST site ATR (Activity and Throughput Reporting) system

  • 1991

    FIRST practical implementation of orthopedic CINE

    FIRST to achieve 0.7 second image reconstruction time

    FIRST practical implementation of orthopedic CINE

    FIRST SMART™ customized slices

    FIRST real-time continuous zoom and pan

    FIRST five-computer distributed processing system (32-bit)

    FIRST Whisper-Quiet™ Gradients

  • 1992

    FIRST .35T electromagnet scanner, the ULTIMATE™ 7000

    FIRST Signal-Plus Surface Coils

    FIRST Signal-Plus™ Surface Coils

  • 1993

    FIRST four-post 0.6T electromagnet MRI, the QUAD™ 12000

    FIRST four-bed MRI scanner, enabling high-throughput "Carousel" Scanning

    FIRST interventional MRI scanner

    FIRST interventional MRI scanner

    FIRST CINE-FLEX™ Coils and fixtures for full-range-of-motion kinematic Studies

  • 1994

    FIRST Imagegram

    FIRST Imagegram™

    FIRST four-post .35T electromagnet MRI, QUAD™ 7000

  • 1995

    FIRST FDA-cleared .35T open MRI, the QUAD 7000™

    FIRST four-post .35T electromagnet MRI approved for marketing by the FDA

    FIRST FDA-cleared .35T open MRI, the QUAD™ 7000

    FIRST FDA-cleared, high-field open MRI (0.6T), the QUAD™ 12000

  • 1996

    FIRST Stand-Up MRI™ (Works in Progress)(since renamed Upright™ MRI

    FIRST Stand-Up MRI™ (Works in Progress)(since renamed Upright™ MRI)

    FIRST Notebook (Laptop) Radiology

    FIRST Cellular Phone Radiology

  • 1997

    FIRST MRI Operating Room™ (Works in Progress)

    FIRST MRI Operating Room™ (Works in Progress)

  • 1998

    FIRST Open Sky MRI (FONAR 360°)

    FIRST Open Sky MRI ® (FONAR 360°)

  • 1999

    FIRST Upright™ Imaging System, The Stand-Up™ MRI (since renamed Upright™ MRI)

    FIRST Upright™ Imaging System, The Stand-Up™ MRI (since renamed Upright™ MRI)

    FIRST Images from Stand-Up™ MRI, weight bearing spines and joints

    FIRST Iron Frame, High-field, Superconducting Open MRI