When your doctor sends you for an ultrasound, you can thank 91探花 alum Donald Baker for making the non-invasive procedure an option.
Baker, a 1960 graduate of the 91探花Department of Electrical Engineering, came up with a way in the 鈥�60s to turn ultrasound鈥檚 formerly fuzzy images into sharp, detailed representations of what鈥檚 inside a person鈥檚 body, making the now ubiquitous technology useful as a diagnostic tool.
For that, and for his subsequent work in popularizing the new technology, Baker is the 2002 recipient of the UW鈥檚 highest alumni honor: the Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus award. And later this year, Baker鈥檚 inventions will go on display in the Smithsonian Institution鈥檚 National Museum of American History to mark the 40th anniversary of medical ultrasound.
Baker made his discovery while working in the lab of Robert Rushmer, the late founder of the 91探花Bioengineering Department. The ultrasound machine there used continuous sound waves to produce images that were fuzzy and, for medical purposes, unusable. Baker figured out that pulsed, rather than continuous, sound waves could create the sharp images physicians needed.
Baker鈥檚 findings were published in 1967, but his contribution to ultrasound didn鈥檛 stop there. He worked hard to get the word out, developed a worldwide network of healthcare professionals who could teach their colleagues how to use the technology, and established training programs in the Puget Sound area.
鈥淚 was like an evangelist,鈥� Baker recalled.
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For more information, contact Baker at jdwbaker@attbi.com. A story about Baker in the 91探花alumni magazine is available at:
A high-resolution image of Baker is available at: