This book documents the fascinating history of radiological techniques that use contrast agents. The text includes many of the fundamental documentary sources that bring to life the social and scientific background of the discoveries, the personalities of the discoverers, and implementation of new technologies. Such agents when used with X-rays allow clinicians to distinguish anatomical structures with nearly identical densities. Focus is on urological and angiographic uses of contrast agents.
Key selling features:
Documents and thoroughly references the history of contrast agent development
Reviews the priority and importance of patents
Discusses the role that important individual scientists and leading research institutions have played in technology development and implementation
Reviews
"This book, written by the eminent chemist and former scientific adviser to Bracco, covers the history of x-ray contrast agents concentrating primarily on uroangiographic agents. The contributions of the giants in this field, such as Lichtenberg, Swick and of course Almen, are covered in considerable depth." - Dr. Arpan K Banerjee, past chair and trustee, British Society for the History of Radiology
Chapter 1 Introduction,
Chapter 2 Methodological Considerations,
Historical and Sociological Perspectives, Technological Innovation, The
Analytical Model of Technology Genesis and Shaping,
Chapter 3 Assembly of a
Technological Vision for X-Ray Contrast Agents,
Chapter 4 Uro-Angiographic
Contrast AgentsThe Holy Grail, Technology Genesis Phase, History, From
Sodium Iodide to Uro-selectan Sodium and Methiodal Sodium, Contrasting
Historical Interpretations, The Dynamics of Technology Genesis, The Failure
of One-Dimensional Reductionism, Technical Knowledge from Interference of
Different Knowledge Cultures, Interference as Communication and Individuation
of Knowledge.
Christoph de Haën, born September 9, 1940 in Switzerland, studied chemistry and
biology in Lausanne, Zurich, and Rome, earning a masters degree in chemistry
from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), followed by a PhD
in molecular biology at the same institution. After a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry
at the University of Washington, Seattle, he became research faculty at
the same institution, jointly appointed in the Departments of Medicine (Division of
Endocrinology and Metabolism) and Biochemistry. There he moved up the ranks to
Research Full Professor and Graduate Faculty. In mid-career he joined the Bracco
company, a worldwide active pharmaceutical corporation, headquartered in Milan,
Italy. There he held various leadership positions in global research and development,
including Head of the Milano Research Center and Scientific Advisor to the Bracco
Group of Companies. The principle field of activity was contrast agents for various
diagnostic imaging modalities. His publications span a wide variety of fields, including
social science ones. He retired in 2005 and lives in Switzerland.
