Medical devices are any machine designed to be utilized for therapeutic purposes by health-care providers. These devices can range from the common stethoscope used by doctors to the newest life-saving heart-lung machine. Medical devices help patients in their everyday lives by enhancing their health and helping them recover from illness or disability, improving their standard of living. This article will give you an idea of the different types of medical devices available.
Stethoscopes: These are one of the oldest forms of medical devices still in use today. A stethoscope is a form of sound device that measures the pressure of a patient’s breath with the use of three measuring rods placed in various points on the patient’s body. Using this form of sound measurement, doctors can assess and determine the right treatment for a patient suffering from certain illnesses. For example, if a patient has high blood pressure, his breathing can be measured and the doctor can recommend the right medication to lower the level. Through the years, the Euroclassics Europe has adapted to the changing technology and several new types of stethoscopes have been created which are now widely used in different medical practices.
Interpreters: As stated at the beginning of the article, medical devices must be medically approved before they can be sold. Medical interpreters translate verbal instructions and prescriptions into texts and symbols that doctors can read. Depending on the type of interpreter chosen by your healthcare organization, they can translate instruction from English to French, Spanish, German, or any other language. Aside from being used by doctors, interpreters are also used extensively in other fields such as schools and hospitals.
Medication: As per the European Union, therapeutic goods must contain risk information for patients and suppliers. All medicinal devices and drugs must be accompanied with guidelines and classifications by the regulatory authorities of each member state. The classifications range from I through V, with “I” being the most serious condition risk category and “V” being less serious conditions. Most member states require manufacturers of medical devices to create risk classifications before selling them. For example, Vaccination is a category that describes vaccinations against infectious diseases that have been known to cause permanent paralysis and death.
Health Care Product: Just like all other medical devices, Canadian drug products also need to be approved for sale in Canada. Before a medication can be deemed as safe for sale in Canada, it has to go through the Canadian drug assessment system. This system includes two sets of tests that test for potential new drugs, therapeutic products, and medications that are design to improve upon or cure a current disease. When these drugs are approved for sale in Canada, they come under the names of OTC or ‘over the counter’ drugs. However, each drug still needs to pass the mandatory quality assessment before they can be deemed acceptable for use by anyone.
There are several companies that manufacture medical devices in Canada. These companies include Teva, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Cia Biomedical. Teva is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Europe. They have factories in Canada and the United States.
Another distinction is that Europe generally refers to electronic (electronic) (gene therapy) and surgical instruments whereas Canada refers to biological (organisms). Surgical instruments generally fall under the category of’medical devices’ while electronic devices fall under the category of’medical supplies’. Some examples of electronic devices in Canada include heart rate monitors, glucose monitors, and ultrasound machines. Similarly, surgical instruments include endoscopes, corneal implants and scalpels. These surgical tools and products need to pass various standards set by health officials in both countries.
As for biological medical devices, all types of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa and other pathogens need to be notified body identified through a notified body registry. This means that the healthcare organization is responsible for the registration, manufacture and notification of the item. For more details on how a product is notified, please visit their website. For those devices that are used in clinical trials, they will need to be registered by the European Union or the EMA, respectively. For further information on the notification process, please visit the FAQs page on the company’s website.