Lecture 2: History of Engineering and Technology in Health Care and Healthcare Technology Basics

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards detailing the historical milestones, regulatory risk classifications, care environments, and technical maintenance procedures in biomedical engineering technology.

Santorio Santori

The inventor who developed the clinical thermometer in 1612.

Aloisius Luigi Galvani

The scientist who first recorded bioelectric signals in 1780.

Piezoelectric Effect

A physical phenomenon discovered in 1880 by Pierre Curie and his brother Jacques Curie that enabled ultrasound technology.

Horace Wells

An American dentist who conducted the first painless dental operation in 1844 utilizing nitrous oxide.

Conrad Roentgen

The scientist who discovered X-radiography in 1895.

Willem Einthoven

The inventor of the string galvanometer ECG machine in 1901.

Korotkoff Sounds

Arterial sounds identified in 1905 that enabled non-invasive blood pressure measurement.

George C. de Hevesy

A researcher who pioneered the use of radioactive isotopes as tracers in 1912 and developed the radium needle for tumor treatment.

William T. Bovie

The developer of the spark-gap electrosurgical unit (ESU) in 1925.

Dr. Raymond Damadian

The physician and scientist who invented the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.

A-Mode Ultrasound

Amplitude-mode ultrasound adapted from sonar technology where a single crystal transmits acoustic pulses ($1500\,\text{m/s}$) and plots returning echo intensity against time.

Ralph Nader (1971)

Consumer advocate who publicized the risk of microshock and leakage current entering patients through invasive catheters, prompting the writing of healthcare-specific electrical safety standards.

Diagnostic and Monitoring Technology

Medical devices used to gather physiologic or anatomic data for the diagnosis of a disease condition, such as medical imaging systems, physiologic monitors, and laboratory analyzers.

Therapeutic Technology

Equipment utilized in the direct treatment of a disease condition, including ventilators, dialysis machines, and cardioverters.

High-Risk Medical Technology

Equipment that presents a risk of serious harm or death to a patient or staff member if the device fails, such as anesthesia machines, heart-lung bypass units, and ventilators.

Non-High-Risk Medical Technology

Devices where failure carries only a minor risk of injury to the patient or staff, such as examination tables and blood pressure devices.

Medical Device Risk Classification

A regulatory stratification system based on degree of invasiveness, duration of use, and potential harm, spanning from Class I (lowest risk, e.g., thermometer) to Class IV (highest risk, e.g., pacemaker).

Type B Applied Part

The least stringent IEC classification for applied parts that are generally non-conductive and can be immediately released from the patient.

Type BF Applied Part

An IEC body-floating applied part classification for devices with conductive contact or medium- to long-term contact with the patient, using a floating ground to isolate the patient from earth ground.

Type CF Applied Part

The most stringent IEC cardiac-floating applied part classification, mandated for medical applications where the applied part makes direct conductive contact with the heart.

Acute Care

Medical care associated with an illness or injury requiring short-term treatment with the explicit goal of recovery or wellness.

Chronic Care

Medical management associated with long-term or permanent conditions that require sustained clinical care over extended periods.

Inpatient Care

Healthcare services delivered when a patient is formally admitted to a hospital facility under the orders of a physician.

Outpatient Care

Clinical care provided to patients without a formal physician order for hospital admission, including clinic appointments, day surgery, imaging, and emergency department visits.

CMMS

Computerized Maintenance Management System; software used to track medical device inventory, maintenance schedules, work orders, and service histories.

Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM)

Scheduled servicing by BMETs comprising visual inspections, calibration, functional checks, and electrical safety testing (earth, touch, and patient leakage) performed at set intervals.

Reactive Maintenance

Unscheduled servicing performed by BMETs to repair malfunctioning equipment via root cause analysis, troubleshooting, parts replacement, calibration, and documentation.

Divergent Thinking

A creative thinking technique guided by four core practices: defer judgment, go for quantity, make connections, and seek novelty.