Medical Equipment

What are medical Devices ?

A medical device is any appliance, apparatus, software, material, or other articles, which may be used in isolation or combination (as defined by the manufacturer) by individuals for a medical purpose. Several articles fall under the definition of medical device and range from walking sticks to contact lenses to breast implants.

Medical devices are also inclusive of in vitro diagnostic devices. These medical devices are used to test samples, such as tissue, bodily fluids, and blood, taken from the body; for example, blood glucose, lateral flow, and pregnancy tests. Medical devices also include implantable medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers; these medical devices are typically implanted and may or may not require external sources of power and operation.

The broad definition of medical devices

A medical device is considered any apparatus that does not exert its action through chemical means and is used in diagnosis, mitigation, therapy, or prevention of disease.

Medical devices encompass a broad range of complexity and include devices that range from highly sophisticated computerized medical equipment to two tongue depressors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) similarly defines medical devices as equipment whose intended primary mode of action is not immunological, metabolic, or pharmacological in nature.