Medical Technology

Background Information for the Learners (BIL)

Technology is a lot more general than people think. Sure, a computer is an

example of technology, we all know that. But did you know that even simple things like
wheels, locks, and faucet are technology too? Technology is just the application of
knowledge for a practical purpose, whether in the home, in industry, or elsewhere.
Technology is used everywhere, but it can be a matter of life and death in the medical
professions. Technology has literally saved millions of lives.

What is Medical Technology?

Medical Technology is simply the use of our knowledge to build objects to protect
living organism from disease or death. And we’ve gotten very good at it. Medical
Technology has a major strategic factor in positioning the hospital and its perception in
the competitive environment of healthcare providers. Numerous dazzling new
biomedical devices and systems are continuously being introduced at a time when the
pressure on hospitals to contain expenditures in mounting. Therefore, forecasting the
deployment of medical technology and the capacity to continuously evaluate its impact
on the hospitals require that the hospital be willing to make the commitment and to
provide the support such a program. Most hospitals that will be providers of quality care
will be conducting technology assessment activities in order to be able to project needs
for new assets and to efficiently manage existing assets within the limits of the available
resources. In order to be effective, an interdisciplinary approach and a cooperative
attitude are required because the task is complex. The ability to integrate information
from disciplines such as clinical, technical, financial, administrative, and facilities in a
timely and objective manner is critical to the success of the assessment. Medical
technology includes medical and surgical procedures, drugs, equipment and facilities,
and the organizational and supportive systems within which care is provided. This
definition focuses on equipment systems, facilities, and procedures (but not drugs).
When it comes to medical equipment, one should not exclude the accessories, supplies,
and disposables from the medical equipment management program.

What is Medical Device?

Medical device’ means any instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, appliance,

implant, reagent for in vitro use, software, material or other similar or related article,
intended by the manufacturer to be used, alone or in combination, for human beings, for
one or more of the specific medical purpose(s) of:

Supporting Life
 Supporting or sustaining life

Prevention
 Prevention, monitoring, treatment or
alleviation of disease.

Investigation
 Investigation, replacement, modification, or
support of the anatomy or of a physiological
process
 Diagnosis
 Diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, alleviation
of or compensation for an injury.

Care
 Providing continued Day to day care to
increase the standard of living

Reproductive Health
 Supporting reproductive health

Disinfection
 Disinfection of medical devices

Information
 Providing information by means of in vitro
examination of specimens derived from the
human body.

There are types of medical technology: diagnosis, life support, and treatment. And there
are many examples of technology we could talk about each category.

Medical Technology for Diagnosis

Diagnosis is the process of identifying what is wrong with someone.

Medical diagnosis technology starts with simple things: stethoscopes to
listen someone’s heart, hypodermic needles to take blood samples for
analysis, and blood pressure cuffs (otherwise known as
‘sphygmomanometers’. But they get much more complex
 MRI scanner

 Creates images of the tissue inside your body,

even your brain. We do this to check for organ
abnormalities, to look for cancerous tissues, to spot
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner torn ligaments, and many other uses.
 It works by surrounding a person with large magnet. This aligns the
magnetic particles in person’s body. When you take away the magnetic field,
the speed at which they return to normal is different depending on the type
of tissue, and this can be detected and used to create an image.

Position Emission Tomography(PET) is a type of nuclear

medicine procedure that measures metabolic activity of the
cells of body tissues. PET is actually a combination of
nuclear medicine and a biochemical analysis.
Position Emission Tomography

A CT scan or Computed Tomography scan is a medical

imaging technique used in radiology to obtain detailed internal
images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes.
This personnel that performs CT scans are called
radiographers or radiology technologies
Computed Tomography scan

An X-ray machine is any machine that involves X-rays. It may

consists of an X-rays generator and an X-ray detector.
Examples include: Machines for medical projectional
radiography. Backscatter X-ray machines, used as “body
X- ray Machine scanners” in airport security

An ophthalmoscope is a handled device used to examine

your eye’s interior structure, including the retina. Traditionally
part of almost every eye exam, ophthalmoscopes can identify
healthy structures within the eyeball, and easily help your eye
Ophthalmoscope doctor see symptoms or indicators of diseases of the eye
 An Otoscope is a tool which shines a beam of light to help
visualize and examine the condition of the ear canal and
eardrum. Examining the ear can reveal causes of symptoms
such as earache, the ear feeling full, or hearing loss.
Otoscope

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the simplest and fastest

tests used to evaluate the heart. Electrodes (small, plastic patches
that stick to the skin) are placed at certain spots on the chest,
arms, and legs. The electrodes are connected to an ECG machine
by lead wires.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)

A thermometer is a device used for measuring temperature.

It can measure temperature of a solid such as food, a liquid
such as water, or a gas such as air.

Thermometer

Medical Technology for Treatment

A scalpel is a small and extremely sharp bladed

instrument used for surgery, anatomical, dissection,
podiatry and various arts and crafts.

Scalpel

Band- aid is a piece of sticking plaster of a type having a

gauze pad in the center, used to cover minor wounds

Band- Aid

Plaster Casts are made up of a bandage and a hard

covering, usually plasters of Paris. They allow broken
bones in the arm or leg to heal by holding them in place,
and usually need to stay on for between 4 and 12 weeks.
Taking good care of your cast will help ensure a better
recovery
Casts
 Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, also known as
extracorporeal life support, is an extracorporeal technique of
providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to
persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an
adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life.
ECMO Machine

Ventilator is a machine that provides mechanical ventilation by

moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths
to a patient who is physically unable to breath, or breathing
insufficiently.
Ventilator

Medicine is a science and practice of caring for a patient,

managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment,
palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their
health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care
practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the
Medicines
prevention and treatment of illness.

Medical Technology for Life Support

Life Support Equipment is used to maintain a patient’s bodily function. This includes the
following:

An incubator is designed to provide a safe, controlled space for

infants to live while their vital organs develop. An incubator can
include equipment to track a range of things including a baby’s
Incubator
temperature and heart rate. This monitoring allows nurses and
doctors to constantly track a baby’s health status.

Anaesthetic Machine or anesthesia machine is a medical

device used to generate and mix a fresh gas flow of medical
gases and inhalation anaesthetic agents for the purposes of
inducing and maintaining anaesthesia
Anaesthetic Machine
 Cardiopulmonary Bypass is a technique in which a machine
temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during
surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen
content of the patient’s body. The CPB pump itself is often referred
to as a heath-lung machine or “the pump”
Cardiopulmonary Bypass

The Dialysis machine mixes and monitors the dialysate.

Dialysate is the fluid that helps to remove the unwanted waste
product from your blood. It also help get your electrolytes and
minerals to their proper levels of your body. The machine also
monitors the flow of your blood while it is outside of your body.
Dialysis Machine

Other information:

 Medical Monitor allow medical staff to measure a patient’s medical state.

Monitors may measure patient vital signs and other parameters including ECG
( Electrocardiography),EEG ( Electroencephalography), and blood pressure.
 Medical Laboratory equipment automates or helps analyze blood, urine, genes,
and dissolve gases in the blood.
 Diagnostic laboratory equipment may also used in the home for certain purposes,
e.g. for the control of diabetes mellitus.
 Therapeutic: physical therapy machines like continuous passive range of motion
(CPM) Machine is a motorized device that passively moves a joint through a
present range of motion. These devices may be used after surgery to reduce
joint stiffness and improve range of motion.