The mystery of X-rays

X-radiation was discovered by the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1895,a discovery which earned him the Nobel Prize in 1901. As with many other scientific discoveries, X-rays came about by chance.The story goes that while experimenting with cathode rays, Röntgen noticed that a screen suffused with a fluorescent susbstance seemed to give off a weak light. He realised that these new rays were capable of passing through bodies and leaving an impression on a photographic plate. Given the mysterious nature of the emissions, he called them “X”. The first X-ray in history was carried out by Röntgen, who used the technique to photograph his wife’s hand with a ring on her finger.

The evolution of X-rays has given us Computed Tomography (CT). Unlike a classic X-ray, the tomographic apparatus travels along or around the part of the body to be examined, photographing it from different angles. A computer processes and further clarifies the images using a complex mathematical calculation. The result is a long series of images“in layers”, which show with great accuracy the tissue studied at different depths.In this way it is possible to reconstruct a three-dimensional model of the part of the body being explored.

To increase the effectiveness of X-ray examinations, special susbtances called contrast agents are used. These are liquids containing dense chemical elements such as barium or iodine which, once ingested or injected into the bloodstream, amplify the difference in opacity of the various tissues. Certain contraindications and undesired effects linked to the first iodised molecules to come in use prompted researchers to look for alternative solutions and more harmless molecules. So it was that in 1974, as well as other analogous products, Bracco created the first non-ionic ready-to-use contrast agent. It has a high level of tolerability, is not metabolised and is eliminated unchanged in urine.It is widely used in computed tomography, angiography, arthrography, myelography, urography and in the visualisation of the gastrointestinal tract.