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EFSUMB History of Ultrasound
The modern technical use of ultrasound began at the beginning of the 20th century, stimulated by the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and with the idea of being able to detect obstacles underwater using ultrasound. The German Alexander Behm and the Englishman Lewis Richardson developed approximately simultaneously and independently from each other, an echo sounder... [more]
ULTRASOUND History MUSEUM
(museum of the German society of ultrasound in medicine)
Introduction
It
has been less than 60 years since the introduction of ultrasound diagnostics
into clinical routine with a breakthrough for rapid further technological development
only about 35 years ago. It may seem paradoxical to set up a museum for such a
young scientific discipline. On the other hand ultrasound technology is today
the most often used imaging technique in medicine worldwide; it was a medical
stroke of luck: Ultrasound made it possible to display organs, entire body
areas, and functional processes without the threat of dangerous radiation,
while keeping the patients’ stress level to a minimum. Although only 35 years
have passed since the beginning of its widespread clinical use, it was
difficult to trace the first commercially available scanners, to acquire them
and to put them back into working order. In 1993 the Museum Society was founded
in the city of Halle/Saale
as a subdivision of the German Society of Ultrasound in Medicine. In 1994 an
agreement was concluded with the German
Museum of Hygiene in Dresden to integrate the ultrasound
collection there. 
In 1995 the opening ceremony in Dresden was attended by more than 1000
participants, many of which were pioneers in the area of ultrasound and shared
their valuable experiences with the audience. Unfortunately, the course of time
changed the Hygiene Museum’s area of responsibility and the contract with
the Ultrasound Museum was terminated.