Main description:

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

Contents:

Contents

Preface......................................................................................................................vii

Acknowledgments......................................................................................................ix

Author........................................................................................................................xi

Chapter 1 Introduction...........................................................................................1

Chapter 2 Methodological Considerations.............................................................9

Historical and Sociological Perspectives..............................................9

Technological Innovation.................................................................... 13

The Analytical Model of Technology Genesis and Shaping............... 15

Chapter 3 Assembly of a Technological Vision for X-Ray Contrast Agents....... 33

Chapter 4 Uro-Angiographic Contrast Agents-The Holy Grail........................ 41

Technology Genesis Phase.................................................................. 41

History............................................................................................ 41

From Sodium Iodide to Uroselectan Sodium and

Methiodal Sodium..................................................................... 41

Contrasting Historical Interpretations..................................... 103

The Dynamics of Technology Genesis......................................... 109

The Failure of One-Dimensional Reductionism...................... 109

Technical Knowledge from Interference of Different

Knowledge Cultures................................................................ 113

Interference as Communication and Individuation of

Knowledge............................................................................... 119

The Emergence of a Technological Vision.............................. 122

Synchronization and Interference............................................124

The Functions of the Technological Vision............................. 125

Technology Espousal and Resistance...................................... 125

Technology-Shaping Phase............................................................... 126

History.......................................................................................... 126

Perfecting Ionic Uro-Angiographic Contrast Agents.............. 126

The Controversial Prehistory of Nonionic Contrast Agents....... 156

Nonionic Contrast Agents........................................................ 170

The Dynamics of Technology Shaping........................................ 211

The Failure of One-Dimensional Reductionism...................... 211

Technical Knowledge from Interference of Different

Knowledge Cultures................................................................ 215

Interference as Communication and Individuation of

Knowledge............................................................................... 221

The Emergence of a Technological Vision..............................224

Synchronization and Interference............................................227

The Function of the Technological Vision..............................228

Technology Espousal and Resistance......................................228

Technology Consolidation and Economization Phase......................229

History..........................................................................................229

The Search for a New Vision........................................................ 235

Chapter 5 Conclusions....................................................................................... 239

References.............................................................................................................. 247

Endnote..................................................................................................................287

Person Index..........................................................................................................307

Subject Index......................................................................................................... 317