Editing Oxford Instruments (section)

==History==
The company was founded by Sir [[Martin Wood (engineer)|Martin Wood]] in 1959, with help from his wife Audrey Wood (Lady Wood)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.oxford.edu/sites/default/files/Entrepreneurship_Centre/Docs/audrey-wood.pdf|title=Audrey, Lady Wood (Oxford Instruments, The Oxford Trust, Oxford Innovation)|website=sbs.oxford.edu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731130842/https://www.sbs.oxford.edu/sites/default/files/Entrepreneurship_Centre/Docs/audrey-wood.pdf|archive-date=31 July 2017}}</ref><ref>Audrey Wood, ''Magnetic Venture: The Story of Oxford Instruments'' ([[Oxford University Press]], 2001). {{ISBN|0-19-924108-2}}</ref> to manufacture superconducting magnets for use in scientific research, starting in his garden shed in [[Northmoor Road]], [[Oxford]], England.<ref name=wood>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/centres/entrepreneurship/Documents/Martin_Wood.pdf|title=Sir Martin Wood and Oxford Instruments|publisher=Oxford University|access-date=17 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404033634/http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/centres/entrepreneurship/Documents/Martin_Wood.pdf|archive-date=4 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was the first substantial commercial spin-out company from the [[University of Oxford]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sciencecampaign.org.uk/?p=5673|title=High-tech UK industry; Oxford Instruments|publisher=CASE|date=4 July 2011|access-date=17 September 2011|archive-date=19 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719233335/http://www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/?p=5673|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was first listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]] in 1983.<ref name=wood/>  [[Peter Williams (physicist)|Peter Williams]] took over as CEO at the time of the flotation.<ref name=wood/>

It had a pioneering role in the development of [[magnetic resonance imaging]], providing the first [[superconducting magnet]]s for this application. The first commercial MRI [[Whole body imaging|whole body scanner]] was manufactured at its [[Osney Mead]] factory in Oxford in 1980 for installation at [[Hammersmith Hospital]], London.<ref>{{cite web|title=MRI Scanner (1980)|url=http://oxonblueplaques.org.uk/plaques/mri.html|work=Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Scheme|publisher=Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board|date=2 June 2011|access-date=6 January 2012}}</ref> Further innovations included the development of active shielding, whereby fringe fields hazardous to pacemaker wearers, causing difficulty and expense in siting, were virtually eliminated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/articles.aspx?Index=239|title=Superconducting magnets: The heart of NMR|publisher=Ingenia|date=February 2004|access-date=17 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319155436/http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/articles.aspx?Index=239|archive-date=19 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Oxford Instruments was not able to capitalise on these inventions itself, granting royalty-free license to [[Philips]] and [[General Electric]] whilst developing a joint venture with [[Siemens]] in 1989: Oxford Instruments sold its 49% shareholding to Siemens in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=111668|title=Siemens Acquires Oxford Instruments' Stake in Oxford Magnet Technology|agency=PR Newswire|year=2004|access-date=17 September 2011}}</ref>

Andrew Mackintosh was appointed CEO in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://raeng.org.uk/about-us/fellowship/new-fellows-2023/dr-andrew-mackintosh-cbe-freng|title=Dr Andrew Mackintosh CBE FREng|publisher=Royal Academy of Engineering|access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref> He was replaced as CEO by Jonathan Flint, who later became president of the [[Institute of Physics]], in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://physicsworld.com/a/sir-martin-wood-the-supercool-thinker-who-founded-oxford-instruments/|title=Sir Martin Wood: the supercool thinker who founded Oxford Instruments|date=19 April 2022|newspaper=Physics World|access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/about/people/flint-jonathan/|title=Jonathan Flint|publisher=University of Oxford|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315113408/https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/about/people/flint-jonathan/|archive-date=15 March 2018}}</ref> Ian Barkshire, who had spent much of his career with the company, took over as CEO in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://boardagenda.com/2024/09/03/ian-barkshire-joins-melrose-as-a-non-executive-director/|title=Ian Barkshire joins Melrose as a non-executive director|newspaper=Board Agenda|date=3 September 2024| access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref>

In November 2019, the [[History of Science Museum, Oxford|History of Science Museum]] in [[Broad Street, Oxford|Broad Street]] established a section on instruments made by the company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theoxfordtrust.co.uk/celebrating-sixty-years-of-oxford-instruments/|title=Celebrating Sixty Years of Oxford Instruments|date=14 November 2019|publisher=The Oxford Trust|access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref>

Richard Tyson joined the company from [[TT Electronics]] and was appointed CEO in April 2023.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/news/AN_1681373918201846800/oxford-instruments-outlook-upbeat-hires-tt-electronics-tyson-as-ceo.aspx|title=NewsOxford Instruments outlook upbeat, hires TT Electronics' Tyson as CEO|date=13 April 2023|newspaper=Morning Star| access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref>