The X-ray Machine
Before we had Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Professor Wilhelm Rontgen discovered the infamous x-ray machine. The x-ray, in simple terms, is a picture taken of the inside of something, usually a body, using high energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths that can pass through items. The device was created in 1895 after Professor Rontgen observed a fluorescent glow of crystals on a table near his cathode-ray tube array. While extremely useful in the field of medicine, the X-ray uses potentially damaging and dangerous levels of radiation, posing a risk to both patients and care providers. The X-ray also photographs the internals of a subject in its entirety meaning that the subject is seen in great detail however, this detail can lead to the cluttering of plates (different X-ray slides) and can make it difficult for care providers to see certain minute details. These shortfallings of the X-ray leave room for improvement and innovation.
Ultrasound
After the discovery of the x-ray, ultrasounds seemed to be the next best thing in the medicine world. Ultrasounds were discovered to assist in the field of medicine to witness the imaging of blood flow in the heart. Though both of these machines were critical in the medical world at the time, none were able to look inside the body without making a scratch.
Why the MRI succeeded?
As both of these antecedents are still used in the medical world, the MRI still continues to be the best machine able to detect many dangerous and life threatening diseases earlier and more in depth than any other machine. With its strong magnetic field, the sensors are able to detect within the body without a single scratch.