Abstract
PURPOSE: Tomosynthesis is a limited-angle multi-projection method that was conceived to address a significant limitation of conventional single-projection x-ray imaging: the overlap of structures in an image. We trace the historical evolution of tomosynthesis. APPROACH: Relevant papers are discussed including descriptions of technical advances and clinical applications. RESULTS: We start with the invention of tomosynthesis by Ziedses des Plantes in the Netherlands and Kaufman in the United States in the mid-1930s and end with our predictions of future technical advances. Some of the other topics that are covered include a respiratory-gated chest tomosynthesis system of the late 1930s, film-based systems of the 1960s and 1970s, coded aperture tomosynthesis, fluoroscopy tomosynthesis, digital detector-based tomosynthesis for imaging the breast and body, orthopedic, dental and radiotherapy applications, optimization of acquisition parameters for breast and body tomosynthesis, reconstruction methods, characteristics of present-day tomosynthesis systems, x-ray tubes, and promising new applications including contrast-enhanced and multimodal breast imaging systems. CONCLUSION: Tomosynthesis has had an exciting history that continues today. This should serve as a foundation for other papers in the special issue "Celebrating Digital Tomosynthesis: Past, Present and Future" in the Journal of Medical Imaging.