X-ray Contrast Agent Technology A Revolutionary History

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 developmentReviews the priority and importance of patentsDiscusses the role that important individual scientists and leading research institutions have played in technology development and implementation

Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Methodological Considerations, Historical and Sociological Perspectives, Technological Innovation, The Analytical Model of Technology Genesis and Shaping, Chapter 3 Assembly of a Technological Vision for X-Ray Contrast Agents, Chapter 4 Uro-Angiographic Contrast Agents—The Holy Grail, Technology Genesis Phase, History, From Sodium Iodide to Uro-selectan Sodium and Methiodal Sodium, Contrasting Historical Interpretations, The Dynamics of Technology Genesis, The Failure of One-Dimensional Reductionism, Technical Knowledge from Interference of Different Knowledge Cultures, Interference as Communication and Individuation of Knowledge.

Christoph de Haën, born September 9, 1940 in Switzerland, studied chemistry andbiology in Lausanne, Zurich, and Rome, earning a master’s degree in chemistryfrom the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), followed by a PhDin molecular biology at the same institution. After a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistryat the University of Washington, Seattle, he became research faculty atthe same institution, jointly appointed in the Departments of Medicine (Division ofEndocrinology and Metabolism) and Biochemistry. There he moved up the ranks toResearch Full Professor and Graduate Faculty. In mid-career he joined the Braccocompany, a worldwide active pharmaceutical corporation, headquartered in Milan,Italy. There he held various leadership positions in global research and development,including Head of the Milano Research Center and Scientific Advisor to the BraccoGroup of Companies. The principle field of activity was contrast agents for variousdiagnostic imaging modalities. His publications span a wide variety of fields, includingsocial science ones. He retired in 2005 and lives in Switzerland.