Innovation from Toshiba
When we look at the history of Toshiba medical equipment, the word "first" often reappears.
Toshiba was the first in Japan to begin research on X-ray tubes in 1914, and has continued to be a national leader in diagnostic imaging equipment, being the first to introduce many products, including MRI and helical CT.
We are continuing to write new pages in the history of medical equipment development.
| 1875 | Tanaka Manufacturing founded (1904, start of Shibaura Manufacturing) |
|---|---|
| 1890 | Hakunessha founded (1899, start of Toshiba Electric) |
| 1914 | Start of Toshiba medical device business Start of research on X-ray tubes (First in Japan) |
| 1930 | Establishment of Nihon Iryo Denki Ltd as a sales company for medical devices, including X-ray, fully financed by Tokyo Electric Co. Ltd. |
| 1932 | Fluorescent plate developed (First in Japan) |
| 1935 | Ink-recording electrocardiographs developed (First in Japan) Condenser discharge X-ray tube developed (First in Japan) |
| 1939 | Merger of Shibaura Manufacturing and Tokyo Electric Co. Ltd. and establishment of Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co. Ltd. |
| 1942 | Nihon Iryo Denki Ltd absorbed by Toshiba through a war-time business merger |
| 1948 | Reestablishment of Nihon Iryo Denki Ltd., the forerunner of Toshiba Medical |
| 1951 | Electroencephalography system developed (First in Japan) |
| 1954 | X-ray fluorescent intensifier tube (I.I.) developed (First in Japan) |
| 1955 | Fluorescent intensified X-ray fluoroscopy system developed (First in Japan) |
| 1959 | Transistorized electrocardiograph developed (First in Japan) |
| 1961 | Successful clinical test of electronic transmission of X-ray TV images Tokyo and Osaka (First in Japan) |
| 1967 | Medical Systems Division established. |
| 1972 | Toshiba Medical (domestic company) established |
| 1976 | Toshiba International Corporation Medical Division established in U.S.A. |
| 1977 | Electric scan-type Ultrasound system (SAL-10A) developed (First in the world) |
| 1978 | X-ray Whole body CT system (TCT-60A) developed (First in Japan) |
| 1979 | Nasu Operations established |
| 1981 | Toshiba Medical Systems Europe B.V. established |
| 1983 | First MRI (MRT-15A) and Digital fluorography system (DFP-02A) developed |
| 1984 | Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co. Ltd. changes their name to Toshiba Corp. |
| 1985 | Slipring CT scanner (TCT-900S) developed (First in the world) |
| 1987 | Toshiba Nasu Tube Factory established Achieved production of the 20,000th X-ray TV system (First in the world) |
| 1992 | Quality assurance system for ISO9001 certified |
| 1993 | Began sales of digital fluorography systems incorporating digital CCD camera (First in the world) |
| 1995 | CT fluoroscopy developed (First in the world) |
| 1996 | Super-conducting, open MRI developed (First in the world) |
| 1997 | Achieved production of the 100,000th ultrasound system (First in the world) |
| 1998 | Multislice and half-second helical CT (Aquilion) developed (First in the world) |
| 1999 | MRI noise-reduction technology developed (Pianissimo mechanism) (First in the world) |
| 2000 | Global Headquarters functions consolidated at Nasu operations |
| 2003 | Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation established |