--- title: Dye! Catheter! Action! image: https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1950s/Dye%20Catheter%20Action/Centennial-DyeCatheterAction-Social.jpg --- [![Cleveland Clinic Magazine - Giving Does Good | Centennial](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine%20Template%20Assets/img/logo-cc-magazine-centennial-mb-inverse.png?noresize&width=224&height=38&name=logo-cc-magazine-centennial-mb-inverse.png) ![Cleveland Clinic Magazine - Giving Does Good | Centennial](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine%20Template%20Assets/img/logo-cc-magazine-centennial-inverse.png?noresize&width=552&height=65&name=logo-cc-magazine-centennial-inverse.png)](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial?hsLang=en) [Donate](https://give.ccf.org/CCMAG) THE 1950s # Dye! Catheter! Action! ## Share - [Share on facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dye-catheter-action&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook) - [Share on twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dye-catheter-action&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&url=https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dye-catheter-action&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&source=tweetbutton&text=) - [Share on linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dye-catheter-action&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin) - [Share on email](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20Dye%21%20Catheter%21%20Action%21%20&body=Check%20out%20https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dye-catheter-action&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) ![Dr. F. Mason Sones sitting at a desk with his hand on his chin, looking out of frame.](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1950s/Dye%20Catheter%20Action/Centennial-DyeCatheterAction-Wide.jpg?width=1030&height=798&name=Centennial-DyeCatheterAction-Wide.jpg) Dr. F. Mason Sones in his natural element: deep in thought amid canisters of heart catheterization films. “At first, some people though he was a nut — which he was,” recalled William Proudfit, MD, who led Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Clinical Cardiology from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. “But they became convinced that he was a smart nut.” | Photo: Cleveland Clinic Archives | Colorized by Sanna Dullaway The musical *Gigi* won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture in 1958, but an entirely different picture created a sensation at Cleveland Clinic. ## Also in 1958: First American satellite orbits Earth Elvis Presley joins U.S. Army Hula-Hoops are all the rage That was the year that F. Mason Sones, MD, became the father of moving cine-coronary angiography, a method for viewing the heart and its vessels with X-rays recorded on motion picture film. It happened quite by accident. The cardiologist was imaging the left ventricle of a patient. Suddenly, the catheter slipped and squirted 40 milliliters of dye into a coronary artery, which nearly caused the patient’s heart to stop. Fortunately, Dr. Sones remembered that a strong cough could essentially reboot a heartbeat. “COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!” he shouted, underscoring the urgency of the situation with a choice expletive. The patient coughed. Moments later, the heart rhythm was restored to normal. Sweet relief turned to sheer delight when Dr. Sones turned to the viewing screen and saw a vivid image of the coronary artery and its branches. Excited by the possibility of obtaining the same result with a smaller (and safer) amount of dye, he rushed back to his office. “I’ve just made history!” he told his secretary, Elaine Clayton. She looked up from her typewriter and said: “What, again?” --- ## Sones’ Laws  Dr. F. Mason Sones lived by his own code of conduct, informally known as “Sones’ Laws”: 1. Be honest. 2. Aim for perfection. 3. Find an expert. 4. Don’t read or write.*\** 5. Don’t calculate.*\*\** 6. Don’t rely on gadgets. 7. Don’t watch the clock. 8. Don’t repeat experiments indefinitely. 9. Concentrate on the problem. 10. Simplify the problem. 11. Make a decision. 12. Communicate. *\***Dr. Sones preferred listening observing and thinking.* *\*\***As far as Dr. Sones was concerned, there was more to truth than numbers.* ## Explore the Decades ### [![Polaroid of forest](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/Origins/War%20Story/Centennial-WarStory-SmallThumbnail.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=Centennial-WarStory-SmallThumbnail.jpg) Origins](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/origins?hsLang=en) ### [![Cleveland Clinic Building](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1920s/Decade%20Page/1920-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1920-Small.jpg) The 1920s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1920s?hsLang=en) ### [![Clinic Building](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1930s/Decade%20Page/1930-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1930-Small.jpg) The 1930s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1930s?hsLang=en) ### [![George Crile Sr.](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1940s/Decade%20Page/1940-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1940-Small.jpg) The 1940s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1940s?hsLang=en) ### [![Willem Kolff, MD, PhD, holding a can](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1950s/Decade%20Page/1950-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1950-Small.jpg) The 1950s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1950s?hsLang=en) ### [![Dr. Rupert Turnball, MD with 3 women](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1960s/Decade%20Page/1960-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1960-Small.jpg) The 1960s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1960s?hsLang=en) ### [![Floyd Loop, MD](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1970s/Decade%20Page/1970-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1970-Small.jpg) The 1970s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1970s?hsLang=en) ### [![Joseph Hahn, MD operating on a patient](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1980s/Decade%20Page/1980-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1980-Small.jpg) The 1980s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1980s?hsLang=en) ### [![Sherwin building](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1990s/Decade%20Page/1990-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=1990-Small.jpg) The 1990s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1990s?hsLang=en) ### [![Taussig Cancer Institute](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/2000s/Decade/2000-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=2000-Small.jpg) The 2000s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/2000s?hsLang=en) ### [![Stewart Kohl and Larry Pollock](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/2010s/Decade%20Page/2010-Small.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=2010-Small.jpg) The 2010s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/2010s?hsLang=en) ### [![Lara K. Kalafatis](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/Top%20Stories/Letter%20from%20Lara/Centennial-Lara-SmallThumbnail.jpg?width=242&height=214&name=Centennial-Lara-SmallThumbnail.jpg) Top Stories](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/top-stories?hsLang=en) - [Archive](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/archive?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/contact-us?hsLang=en) - [Subscribe](https://donate.clevelandclinic.org/sign-up?hsLang=en) - [Purchase](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/get-your-copy-today?hsLang=en) [Donate](https://give.ccf.org/CCMAG) [![Cleveland Clinic](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine%20Template%20Assets/img/logo-cc.png?width=300&name=logo-cc.png "Cleveland Clinic")](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/) © 2026 Cleveland Clinic. All rights reserved. [![Cleveland Clinic Magazine - Giving Does Good | Centennial](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine%20Template%20Assets/img/logo-cc-magazine-centennial-mb-inverse.png?noresize&width=224&height=38&name=logo-cc-magazine-centennial-mb-inverse.png) ![Cleveland Clinic Magazine - Giving Does Good | Centennial](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine%20Template%20Assets/img/logo-cc-magazine-centennial-inverse.png?noresize&width=552&height=65&name=logo-cc-magazine-centennial-inverse.png)](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial?hsLang=en) - [Origins](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/origins?hsLang=en) - [Meet the Founders](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/meet-the-founders?hsLang=en) - [War Story](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/war-story?hsLang=en) - [1920s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1920s?hsLang=en) - [The Doctors Will See You Now](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/the-doctors-will-see-you-now?hsLang=en) - [Grief Would Be Defeat](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/grief-would-be-defeat?hsLang=en) - [Caregivers' Daughter](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/caregivers-daughter?hsLang=en) - [A Clean, Well-Lighted Place](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/a-clean-well-lighted-place?hsLang=en) - [1930s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1930s?hsLang=en) - [Best. Job. Interview. Ever.](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/best-job-interview-ever?hsLang=en) - [Gland Theft Thyroid](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/gland-theft-thyroid?hsLang=en) - [May We Help You?](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/may-we-help-you?hsLang=en) - [Room with a View](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/room-with-a-view?hsLang=en) - [Signs of the Times](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/signs-of-the-times?hsLang=en) - [Greetings from Cleveland Clinic](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/greetings-from-cleveland-clinic?hsLang=en) - [1940s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1940s?hsLang=en) - [Anchors Aweigh](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/anchors-aweigh?hsLang=en) - [From the Top](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/from-the-top?hsLang=en) - [Meet the Press](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/meet-the-press?hsLang=en) - [Research Superstar](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/research-superstar?hsLang=en) - [1950s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1950s?hsLang=en) - [A Real Heart-Stopper](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/a-real-heart-stopper?hsLang=en) - [Artificial Intelligence](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/artificial-intelligence?hsLang=en) - [Dye! Catheter! Action!](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dye-catheter-action) - ['Everyone's Father Figure'](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/everyones-father-figure?hsLang=en) - [For Whom the Phones Toll](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/for-whom-the-phones-toll?hsLang=en) - [Lab Work](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/lab-work?hsLang=en) - [The Diet-Heart Connection](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/the-diet-heart-connection?hsLang=en) - [1960s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1960s?hsLang=en) - [A Campus Grows in Cleveland](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/a-campus-grows-in-cleveland?hsLang=en) - [How May I Connect You?](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/how-may-i-connect-you?hsLang=en) - [On the Trail of a Killer](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/on-the-trail-of-a-killer?hsLang=en) - [Team Player](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/team-player?hsLang=en) - [Thinking Big](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/thinking-big?hsLang=en) - [1970s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1970s?hsLang=en) - [Big Data](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/big-data?hsLang=en) - [Gut Instinct](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/gut-instinct?hsLang=en) - [Image Is Everything](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/image-is-everything?hsLang=en) - [The Expanding Man](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/the-expanding-man?hsLang=en) - [World-Class Care](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/world-class-care?hsLang=en) - [1980s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1980s?hsLang=en) - [Building Boom](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/building-boom?hsLang=en) - ['Dr. CEO'](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/dr.-ceo?hsLang=en) - [Goodbye, Glass Ceiling](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/goodbye-glass-ceiling?hsLang=en) - [Kidney Success](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/kidney-success?hsLang=en) - [1990s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/1990s?hsLang=en) - [Now See Here](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/now-see-here?hsLang=en) - [Research Recruiter](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/research-recruiter?hsLang=en) - [The Urge to Merge](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/the-urge-to-merge?hsLang=en) - [Top of the Charts](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/top-of-the-charts?hsLang=en) - [Miles of Files](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/miles-of-files?hsLang=en) - [2000s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/2000s?hsLang=en) - [Art Heals](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/art-heals?hsLang=en) - [Brain Gain](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/brain-gain?hsLang=en) - [Common Ground](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/common-ground?hsLang=en) - [Heart and Soul](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/heart-and-soul?hsLang=en) - [Making the Grade](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/making-the-grade?hsLang=en) - [Towering Achievements](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/towering-achievements?hsLang=en) - [2010s](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/2010s?hsLang=en) - [Leading with Compassion](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/leading-with-compassion?hsLang=en) - [Personalized Cancer Care](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/personalized-cancer-care?hsLang=en) - [Tomorrow, the World](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/tomorrow-the-world?hsLang=en) - [Versatile Venue](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/versatile-venue?hsLang=en) - [Top Stories](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/top-stories?hsLang=en) - [A Better Tomorrow: 100 Years in the Making](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/a-better-tomorrow-100-years-in-the-making?hsLang=en) - [Heavy Mettle](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/heavy-mettle?hsLang=en) - [2121 Visions](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/2121-visions?hsLang=en) - [Make a Historic Difference](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/make-a-historic-difference?hsLang=en) - [Too Many Candles to Count](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/too-many-candles-to-count?hsLang=en) - [Then and Now](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/then-and-now?hsLang=en) Search terms Search - [Subscribe](https://donate.clevelandclinic.org/sign-up?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/contact-us?hsLang=en) - [Purchase](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/2021-centennial/get-your-copy-today?hsLang=en) [Donate](https://give.ccf.org/CCMAG) ## #MaskUp & Help Us Help Others Close