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Man has invented different things right from the Stone Age. Chief among these are various instruments, devices and methods pertaining to health and fitness. The different medical equipments and instruments man has invented over the ages have helped him to survive and increased his longevity. Diseases that were considered incurable are now curable owing to these methods and machines. The instruments come in all shapes and sizes – they could be something as simple as a scalpel or something as convoluted as a dialyzing machine. In their own way, they have helped man combat illnesses.

How do we define a medical instrument? Simply put, a medical instrument is a device that is specifically designed to meet the requirements of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of illnesses. Based on this, these devices can be put into different classes. They could be diagnosing devices, treating devices and monitoring equipments. Each of these devices has to follow stringent standards in order to qualify as a medical instrument; after all, these devices are meant to save lives. They need to comply with various safety standards.

Diagnostic Equipments

These are the most basic kinds of medical equipments. Their purpose is to identify and determine medical conditions in the patient. They help the physicians to conclude or confirm the underlying cause for an illness. Thus, they help in determining the class of a particular condition, which helps in deciding the further course of treatment.

There are numerous machines and tools that are used to determine a patient’s medical condition. Classification tests are conducted to observe the symptoms of the patient. Common instruments that are used for diagnosis include the stethoscope which is used to check the pulse rate, the sphygmomanometer for measuring blood pressure, thermometer for measuring body temperature and so on. In contemporary medicine, patients are made to undergo various neurological and pathological tests as well. The devices used for these tests also fall under the category of diagnostic equipment. Some of the devices that can be included here are X-ray machines, CT scanners, ultrasound scanners, MRI machines, etc.

Life Support Equipment

Life support devices play a vital role in keeping specific patients alive. The main purpose of this type of equipment is to maintain and support the patient’s bodily functions when specific organs fail to respond. There are several support medical equipments used in the medical field, which include machines used for anesthesia, ECMO machines, dialysis machines, medical ventilators, cardio-pulmonary machines and so on.

Medical Monitoring Equipment

Medical monitoring equipment also share the same degree of importance as the two other kinds of devices mentioned above. These devices are used to measure the current state of the patient. They indicate current signs within the patient, which help in the progress of the treatment, or to retreat it if the intended results are not being achieved. Blood pressure monitoring devices and EEGs and ECGs are commonly used in the medical industry.