A scanner is a machine or device used in areas such as computing, electronics, and medicine to scan documents or images, spaces, and the human body. This technological instrument is responsible for obtaining images or information of any object. It is known that the first scanner was the MS-200, created in 1984 by the Microtek company who developed it as an accessory to the Apple Macintosh.
The MS-200 was characterized by being a very simple scanner, without much resolution, which had limitations in terms of black and white scanning. It took until 1989 for the first color scanners to emerge.
One of the most popular scanners is the computer scanner, which is used to digitize images and information through documents, books, photographs, etc. Its operation is similar to that of a photocopier, the scanner is in charge of observing all the visible information of the object, with the purpose of introducing it to the computer system for its subsequent use.
They are also scanners bar code, these are frequently used in shops, supermarkets and warehouses, to record the purchase of a specific item, showing the features and price of the same on the computer used by the seller. In this case, the scanner interprets the barcode that the product contains and which will provide all the requested data. After analyzing the code, the scanner produces a sound that confirms that the reading has been performed.
For biometric identification, scanners are also used, since through them the authorized individual can be recognized. For example, there is the fingerprint scanner, the retina scanner, and the iris scanner.
Within the medical context is the TAC, which is a type of scanner that is responsible for obtaining information regarding the human body; the information that this device gives is much more exact than that shown by an X-ray. These types of studies are carried out in most cases, before a surgical intervention and are essential for the discovery of tumors. At present it is possible to obtain results from these studies in 3D.
