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 During the 1930s and '40s, the name of Mallinckrodt Institute became synonymous with progress in the quickly evolving field of radiology. The first forms of tomography and early work with cyclotron-produced isotopes began here; angiography also had its beginnings at Mallinckrodt Institute.
The next two decades brought rapid expansion of the Institute, including the installation of the nation's first cyclotron designed for medical studies, the creation of a school of X-ray technology, and the installation of one of the first electron microscopes for the study of radiation's effects in cells.
Positron emission tomography (PET) was developed at Mallinckrodt Institute in the 1970s, and today the Institute is the world's only medical facility equipped with three dedicated cyclotrons for the production of radiopharmaceuticals used in PET studies. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), digital radiography, and other sophisticated technologies serve Mallinckrodt Institute's patients and physicians. The Institute is a leader in the development of new isotopes for nuclear medicine, specialized treatment planning, and three-dimensional image reconstructions.
The Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University Imaging Center, one of the best-equipped multidisciplinary facilities worldwide, is dedicated to research in PET, MRI, and related sciences. The Imaging Center, which opened in 1994, provides centralized resources for the scientific evaluation of imaging technology and for the development and application of advanced imaging systems. Milestones
- Development of cholecystography
- Development of laminography, a method for imaging in slices that foreshadowed the development of computed tomography
- Development of the radiograph, which captured a series of images in rapid sequence as contrast circulated through organs and vessels
- Collaboration on the design and installation of the first cyclotron located in a United States medical center
- Development of positron emission tomography (PET)
- Installation of first computed tomography scanners for diagnosis of brain abnormalities and for whole body imaging
- Installation of Missouri's first magnetic resonance scanner
- Development of the Midwest area's first mobile mammography program
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