Feb. 14 at 3:46 AM
$TTOO MRI — A 40-Year “Overnight Success”
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was not an instant win.
• 1940s–50s: Nuclear magnetic resonance discovered in physics labs
• 1970s: First crude human MR images produced
• Late 1970s: First whole-body human scanners
• Early 1980s: Commercial units installed — slow, expensive, unproven
• Late 1980s–1990s: Clinical superiority over CT became undeniable
• 1990s onward: Widespread hospital adoption
From concept to dominance: roughly 40–50 years.
Early MRI systems were:
– Extremely expensive, Slow and Technically unreliable
– Facing entrenched competition (CT Scans)
– Operating without clear reimbursement
Adoption accelerated only after:
– Clear clinical differentiation (brain/spine imaging)
– Major industrial backing from companies like General Electric and Siemens
– Government Reimbursement alignment
The lesson: transformative solutions are not inevitable in its first decade. It survives through iteration, capital, and clinical validation
