I, Jan Somer, received an MSc in Electronics and Electrotechnique from the Delft
University of Technology in 1960.
In 1961 I got my first job at MFI-TNO, which means Institute of Medical Physics of the
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. I told the director of the Institute
that I took an extra course on Acoustics during my study in Delft. This triggered the
director immediately by telling me about his observation that internationally attempts were
going on to find out whether the use of high frequency sound, so called ultrasound, could
contribute to better diagnosing some medical problems.
He told me about neurologists, ophthalmologists, cardiologists, and gynaecologists all
over the world who were trying with modified Nondestructive Testing Devices (NTD),
whether ultrasound could contribute as a new diagnostic tool.
I started my new job by spending a lot of time in the library in order to get familiar with the
sphere of work. At the same time I started visiting the places where research on medical
ultrasound was going on. The general experience was a kind of dissatisfacton, a feeling of
how can we do better.
Strange enough, the one-dimensional technique, the so-called A-scan, gave information
on distances that could be measured quite accurately. On the other hand, to get a two-
dimensional image the probe had to be moved in order to get a second dimension (B-
scan). The results, whether scanning by hand or motor driven were, except in some
cases, unsatisfactory. The main reason? I am convinced that not being able to watch the
screen during scanning is the reaon. The result shows only after finishing, and it is a still
picture. The missing link is: REAL TIME
My conclusion was: Improvement of image quality can only be obtained if we can make
the A-scan line also steered. On it’s turn this leeds to the magic word: PHASED ARRAY .
And automatically we have a system that is REAL TIME. The success has been
enormous.
And here the industry took it over!
With my group at MFI-TNO we have built two prototypes. The first one, Electroscan I,
gained an huge success. The Powerpoint presentation is almost entirely based on this
Electroscan I, the second machine, Electroscan II was built for the University Freiburg, that
financed it.