1999 33c Celebrate the Century,1970s: Medical Imaging

US #3189o
1999 Medical Imaging – Celebrate the Century (1970s)

• Part of the eighth sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Commemorates advances in medical imaging technology
• Includes text on the back with historical details

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 33¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: November 18, 1999
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 90,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.5
Tagging: Block tagging

Why the stamp was issued: Honors the improvements in medical imaging during the 1970s. These advancements had a lasting impact on healthcare.

About the stamp design: Pictures a painting by Kazuhiko Sano. Includes the following text on the back: “Medical imaging techniques advanced significantly with the development of ultrasound, CAT scans, and MRI technology. These noninvasive procedures improved doctors’ ability to see inside the human body.”

First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Postage Stamp Mega-Event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.

History the stamp represents: After years of extensive research, British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield determined that combining the power of computers and capabilities of x-ray technology would revolutionize medical imaging. He had interpreted the theory behind computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanning prior to 1971. But it took until then for computer technology to catch up with his ideas.

The device that Hounsfield created connected an x-ray machine with a state-of-the-art computer. After the x-rays passed through the pateint’s body, the computer turned the recorded images into a detailed picture of the targeted area. This important medical development allowed doctors to pinpoint illnesses without the patient having to undergo surgery. Doctors in London were the first to use the CAT scan technology in 1973.

Physicist Allen MacLeod Cormack published his findings on the formulas necessary to combine multiple x-rays in 1963 and 1964. But Hounsfield’s theories were accepted first. The two shared a Nobel Prize in medicine for their work to improve medical imaging in 1979.

CAT scans are a common medical practice today. Images of the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis can be taken to help diagnose and treat conditions such as tumors, blood clots, infections, and broken bones.