History of Three-Dimensional Imaging
There has been a recent evolution in the angio-graphic evaluation of patients with the development of three-dimensional (3D) rotational angiography. To understand this evolutionary process, it is worthwhile to understand the history of 3D imaging.
The first 3D images were produced by a British scientist, Charles Wheatstone, in the 1830s. Other British inventors, David Brewster and the famous 3D photographer Louis Daguere, created photographs with dimension, providing the basis for much of 3D imaging. Two separate photographs of an individual object were taken 2.5 inches apart (the distance between a humans pupils). Using stereoscope lenses, which directed the image to its corresponding eye, the images were viewed side by side, giving the perception of depth. By the early 20th century, 3D photography was commonplace. William Gruber, an organ maker from Portland, OR, and Harold Graves created a device that became known as "The View-master." "The Viewmaster" was designed principally for taking scenic photography, but it came into prominence during World War II when it was used to produce pictures for the United States government to aide in military site identification and range estimation. In 1952, 3D cinema began with the films Bwana Devil and House of Wax.
The world of 3D imagery in medicine also has changed dramatically. With the need for precise anatomic definition, 3D imaging has grown slowly
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from holographic images of the spine to true 3D pictures of the body using a variety of cross-sectional modalities. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) has made great advances and has gradually become the gold standard for the delineation of vascular anatomy. With the development of endovascular treatments for occlusive vascular disease, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and tumors, it became necessary to visualize the specific and detailed vascular anatomy on a more real-time basis. Three-dimensional angiography was first proposed by Cornelius and advanced into clinical practice by Voigt in 1975 [1]. Since then, a variety of improvements have been developed as a result of the increased speed and data transfer afforded by modern computers. Recent publications by Fahrig and others [2-6] have brought 3D angiographic imaging to the forefront. The 3D evaluation of cerebral aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations no longer is a clinical curiosity, but an absolute necessity.