A new window into the lung

The ability to image inside the body first became a reality in 1973 with the introduction of computed tomography, an X-ray technique that builds a three-dimensional picture from a series of "slices" through the body. Other techniques, such as positron-emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, have been developed since then, establishing medical imaging as a vital tool for diagnosing a range of medical conditions.