Coronary artery calcium scoring (1990)
Arthur Agatston published a method that quantified coronary artery calcium on CT scans, turning a qualitative image into a numeric risk score. The Agatston score gave cardiologists a reproducible number for cardiac risk.
The score became a widely used research tool for cardiac risk assessment.
It became a standard clinical test, though reimbursement battles lasted years before payers covered it.
Shows how a quantitative imaging biomarker can move from research to clinical use, and how slowly payment follows the science.
