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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT


Medical equipment

Medical equipment is designed to assist in the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of medical conditions. These devices are frequently designed with rigorous safety standards.

There are several basic types:

  • Diagnostic equipment includes medical imaging machines, used to assist in diagnosis. Examples are ultrasound and MRI machines, PET and CT scanners, and x-ray machines.

  • Therapeutic equipment contains infusion pumps, medical lasers and LASIK surgical machines.

  • Life support equipment is used maintain a patient's bodily function. These include medical ventilators, heart-lung machines, ECMO, and dialysis machines.

  • Medical monitors allow medical staff to measure a patient's medical state. Monitors may measure patient vital signs and other parameters including ECG, EEG, blood pressure, and dissolved gases in the blood.

  • Medical laboratory equipment automates or helps analyze blood, urine and genes.
A Biomedical equipment technician or BMET is a fundamental component of the healthcare delivery system. Employed principally by hospitals, BMETs are the people responsible for maintaining a facility's medical equipment.