Medical Equipment - Types

Types

There are several basic types:

  • Diagnostic equipment includes medical imaging machines, used to aid in diagnosis. Examples are ultrasound and MRI machines, PET and CT scanners, and x-ray machines.
  • Therapeutic equipment includes infusion pumps, medical lasers and LASIK surgical machines.
  • Life support equipment is used to maintain a patient's bodily function. This includes medical ventilators, anaesthetic machines, 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.
  • Diagnostic Medical Equipment may also be used in the home for certain purposes, e.g. for the control of diabetes mellitus

A biomedical equipment technician (BMET) is a vital component of the healthcare delivery system. Employed primarily by hospitals, BMETs are the people responsible for maintaining a facility's medical equipment.

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