In what decade were all components to construct a CT scanner available?

In what decade were all components to construct a CT scanner available?

• A. 1960s
• B. 1940s
• C. 1970s
• D. 1950s

Answer: (D)

All the pieces needed to build a CT scanner—an X-ray source, detectors arranged around the patient, a rotating gantry, and the computer-based reconstruction capability to turn projections into images—came together in the early 1970s. The first practical, clinical CT scanner emerged around 1971–1972, showing that by the 1970s the full system was available and usable. In the 1950s, while X-ray tubes and detectors existed, the computational power and integrated hardware required for rapid image reconstruction weren’t in place. The 1960s saw important progress and prototypes, but not a finished, dependable scanner. So the decade when all components were available is the 1970s.

All the pieces needed to build a CT scanner—an X-ray source, detectors arranged around the patient, a rotating gantry, and the computer-based reconstruction capability to turn projections into images—came together in the early 1970s. The first practical, clinical CT scanner emerged around 1971–1972, showing that by the 1970s the full system was available and usable. In the 1950s, while X-ray tubes and detectors existed, the computational power and integrated hardware required for rapid image reconstruction weren’t in place. The 1960s saw important progress and prototypes, but not a finished, dependable scanner. So the decade when all components were available is the 1970s.