Ram Dhurjaty of RIT

Eastman Kodak was in the forefront of Medical Imaging. X-Ray film played a large role as a capture, viewing, storage, and archival medium. The barrier to entry for film was enormous, leading to high-profit margins for Kodak.

Processing of film involved chemicals and their management. Long-term archives were in film farms or local vaults in hospitals. Disposal of chemicals was not ecologically sustainable.

There was a necessity to replace film with modalities that had all the advantages of film without disrupting the workflow and protocols used by Radiologists and Technologists, as well as their productivity. This was a tall order and took decades to achieve

This talk focusses on two modalities: Computed Radiography, and Retrofittable digital radiography. The evolution in Digital Radiography has practically eliminated screen film Radiography, except for specialized procedures and has spawned a multi-billion dollar industry, world-wide.

This talk is about the field of Digital Radiography including Computed Radiography as well as retrofittable digital radiography, which as later commercialized by Carestream, that owns all the original Kodak IP, in medical imaging.

It is fitting on this Historic day, when the contributions of Kodak’s contribution to Digital Cameras is being recognized, that we talk about contributions of Kodak in digital radiography.

Biography:

Ram has been active in Medical electronics since 1978, in various organizations as well as hospital settings. He was involved with the first multi spectral Gamma camera at Yale New haven hospital in the late 70’s. these were the early Photon counting detectors.

He occupied senior positions at Analogic Corp, and later Eastman Kodak, where he was the technology guru.

Ram, over his career, has designed several medical devices, including CT scanners, Patient monitors, defibrillators, X-Ray Generators, and radiography systems. The 16-bit converter that he designed at Analogic for CT scanners found its way into the Space Shuttle. He now owns a consulting company designing medical devices, power supplies and magnetics.

Ram has been active with several groups and committees. He has written standards for ECGs and Defibrillators for AAMI and ANSI.

He was the past chair of IEEE, Rochester section, Chapter chair of EMBS in Boston, during the 80,s, a sounding member of IEEE SSIT, and a past member of IEEE COMAR. He is a Distinguished Speaker for the IEEE, Consumer Technology Society. He is also involved in STEM programs and science fairs for high-school and middle school students.

In addition to being a senior member of IEEE, he is an emeritus member of AAPM, Member SPIE, and AHA.

Address:Rochester, New York, United States