There are many types of machines that have been developed for medical use. These have been essential in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of patients. Not only have the uses of medical machines, such as ECG machines, enhanced the way doctors treat patients, but simple medical equipment has also proven beneficial.
One of the most important developments in medical machines is the ECG machine, or electrocardiograph. This type of medical equipment monitors a person's condition by measuring the electrical activity of the heart over time through electrodes attached to a patient's skin. Without the ECG machine, doctors would not be able to diagnose abnormal heart rhythms due to conductive tissue damage, electrolyte imbalances and heart muscle damage.
The methods the ECG machine uses were first developed in the 19th century, and advances in science have allowed this medical machine to be improved many times since. A biomedical equipment technician is the person who maintains the operations of medical equipment, including ECG machines. Other medical equipment that is important to doctors are medical image devices used to diagnose patients. For example, an X-ray machine shows doctors a patient's broken bones.
There are other types of medical equipment that are used for therapy and life support purposes. Medical lasers can provide rehabilitation to many parts of a body. Just as these machines are for therapy and ECG machines are for diagnosis, other machines are used to maintain a person's functions. A dialysis machine keeps a person's otherwise failed kidneys at a functional level. There is also medical laboratory equipment that is used primarily for diagnostic purposes to analyze blood, urine and genes.
There is also medical equipment that does not use electricity, but that is still vital to diagnosing and treating patients. Although an ECG machine helps doctors determine abnormal heart rhythms, a stethoscope monitors that the proper amount of blood is flowing through the heart, something an ECG machine cannot do. Simpler medical equipment includes blood pressure readers, scalpels and sutures. The first is used for diagnostic purposes and the last two are used for prevention and treatment purposes.
Overall, developments in the field of medical machines have led to a surge in better diagnosis and treatment of patients by doctors. This medical equipment includes highly technical machines, such as the ECG machine, as well as simple non-electric mechanisms.