 In 1913, industrial tycoon Henry Timkin of the Timkin Roller-Bearing Company in Canton, Ohio, sought Rife's help to solve a manufacturing problem, the scanner improved the quality of the company's products and streamlined production to such a degree that Timkin was overjoyed. When he learned that Rife's passion was medical imaging, Timkin gave him his full financial support and set him up at the family's estate in San Diego to create his personal lab.