Medical equipment (also known as armamentarium) is designed to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of medical conditions.
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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.
- Treatment 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, incubators, 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, and blood pressure.
- Medical laboratory equipment automates or helps analyze blood, urine, genes, and dissolved gases in the blood.
- Diagnostic Medical Equipment may also be 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) machines
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. BMET mainly act as an interface between doctor and equipment.