Endoscopes pertaining to the specific parts of the body are developed in order to customise the procedures with regards to ailments relating to the abdominal cavity, lungs, bladder, uterus, nasal, rectum etc. For example, a gastro scope is used to view the insides of the stomach intestines; a laparoscope is used to look in anything from the gall bladder to the women’s reproductive organs etc.

Initially endoscopic instruments were only used to take images of the organs and intestines, today, live colour video can be viewed and all aspects of the affected area can be diagnosed first hand with the use of fibre optic instruments encasing thousands of mirrors and lens in a very tiny, flexible and compact tube.

With the advancement of modern technology and the development of the endoscopic equipments, these are also used to take a biopsy, suck formation of pus, and also perform surgeries such as hernia, fallopian tubal ligation, laser surgeries etc.

The patient is usually given anaesthesia for sedation and also given pain killing medications to avoid soreness or discomfort. The procedure is hardly invasive, although in some cases it requires tiny incisions depending on the requirement. After the procedure the patient is kept in observation for few hours till the effect of the anaesthesia wears off and is further checked for any discomforting effects or reactions.

The only other alternative and most reliable and accurate way to test blood glucose levels are with a blood glucose monitor. However, with it being such a popular device, you will find hundreds of different kinds to choose from. Before you purchase one, there are some factors that you need to consider:

Although most of the times, medical insurance covers the cost for these types of devices, you need to clarify their reimbursement to you before you buy. The majority of health care insurance providers have an arrangement with specific suppliers for a specified monitor. In events like these, the insurance will only pay for those specified models and makes. It is always good to discuss your intention and choices with your doctor or health care professional first.

You may find a reasonably cheap monitor and are impressed with the elaborated features it may provide, but once you make some enquiries about the cost of the test strips or control solutions you will find that the cost of these items will end up being more expensive than the monitor itself is! It is preferably a good idea to do some price comparisons on the accessories first before you decide on what monitor you would like to buy.

Some monitors are easier to use than others are. Familiarise yourself with the requirements of several monitors before you make a final choice. The best indication will be to converse with other diabetics to find out what they would suggest and recommend.

Sphygmomanometer is the medical term given to a Blood Pressure Apparatus, used to measure the blood pressure of an individual.

The basic manual sphygmomanometer consists of an inflatable cuff attached with tubes and an air control valve with an inflation bulb. This cuff is also attached to a manometer (a gauge filled with mercury or a dial gauge) which shows the pressure reading. This manual apparatus is typically used with a stethoscope.

The cuff is usually inflated to a high pressure in the upper arm so that no blood can pass through the artery above the elbow. The pressure is very slowly released until the blood squirts through little by little. A stethoscope is used to hear and mark the reading when the squirting starts (high) and stops (low) with ongoing slow loosening of the pressure valve till its released completely. The systolic (high) and diastolic (low) pressure recorded makes a blood pressure reading.

In this day and age, digitally enhanced blood pressure monitors are used by everyone for domestic purposes. Since blood pressure may not have any symptoms before it is dangerously high or low, it is advisable for patients to check their blood pressure regularly. These digital equipments are compact and easy to use with either automatic inflating cuffs or those, which come with an inflation bulb.

Though digital monitors are becoming immensely popular and an essential tool to have around, these monitors are not as accurate as when compared to the manual apparatus. However, this can definitely be used as a guide and an indication for when an approaching visit to a medical practitioner is unavoidable when it shows a low or high blood pressure reading.

Some things have changed since you last had a look at the technology and features provided. Listed are some factors you will need to take indo consideration before buying your new EKG machine.

1. Paper Use

What paper does the new machine use and what are the dimensions of the paper? You will find that certain electrocardiograph machines use 6 cm sheets or half sized sheets to do print outs on.  It is even possible to find EKG machines that make use of smaller paper that are able to provide you with a full print in 3 x 4 + 1 format.  However, the preferred used paper for EKG printouts by the majority of cardiologist remain the letter sized paper which is 8.5” x 11”. This may be a more expensive choice but for filing and record keeping purposes this is the best paper option to use.

2. Data Capturing Capabilities

The ideal is to have an EKG machine that allows you to enter specific patient information via a keyboard.   It is common sense that an EKG are used by several medical personnel and with printed patient information on the EKG printout it does not only serve to be more professional, but also prevents wrong identification added to a printout with obvious serious implications.

3. What View Do You Have?

With a screen at your disposal fitted to the EKG machine, you will be able to see that all leads are in good working order. This feature also allows you to ensure that the base line is stable before starting to record the EKG.  If all 12 leads are visible, you will be able to view all activities in real time.

The inbuilt sophisticated analytical tools help interpret, analyze and process the data to provide optimum diagnostic capabilities. The main domains of use cover abdominal, obstetrical, gynecological, cardiac and vascular. Additionally it is also used for diagnostic examination of small parts and for breast examination. The machine is bulky and looks like a supercomputer riddled with buttons, consoles, pads, dials and knobs which shout its superior technological advantages.

The cart that it is fixed onto is movable and has small wheels at the bottom that allow portability. The machine is ideal for medium to large medical facilities that seek advanced and extremely versatile and accurate medical equipment.

It comes with an alphanumeric keyboard that affords easy data entry and manipulation of its functions and a 15 inch high resolution non- interlaced, flat, CRT monitor that renders high quality images with color, clarity and detail. Additional buttons and dials and knobs are available for calling up various functions and for selecting different modes of operation.

The other features include the 3D/4D static real time imaging with a frame rate of 15 frames per second and a state of the art user interface with on screen menu’s that makes the navigation process hassle free. The rendered images are optimized through automatic tissue optimization. The machine comes with 4 active probe ports and an option to archive images on CD or hard drive which can store up to 40GB of data.

It provides three different modes for tissue imaging and also has a digital Beamformer and 512 system processing channel technology with CINE memory that gives the capability of storing up to 3000 2D images. It uses power Doppler imaging and tissue Doppler imaging for data gathering.

It looks similar to a laptop and has similar connectivity features which enable it to be used as a standard enabled PC that also incorporates standard office features and software adaptability.

The flexible architecture enables display of excellent high quality ultrasound images and has multiple built in tools for image processing and enhancement. In addition to performing basic operations like surfing the internet and sending emails and making presentations, it is also suited for a variety of complex applications. The compact and lightweight design makes it portable and lends a great deal of attractiveness. It works on batteries that run for a continuous two hours, making it ideal for emergency situations.

The P50 as its looks would suggest, is based on the apple Mac book laptop and comes with a 2GB RAM and a has a hard disk storage capacity of 160GB. It runs on a 2GHZ Intel dual core Pentium M processor.

The main advantage of the P50 is that it combines flexibility of usage and versatility with power packed performance delivery suited to any workflow demands. The portability that is affords gives you the option to move it around as easily as you would a laptop computer. The console and general appearance is stylish making it a very presentable system for small clinics, operating rooms and mobile imaging applications.

It doubles up as a fully functional notebook which is capable of running windows based applications on the Apple MacBook Pro platform. The control panel which can be used to perform ultrasound exams and run programs for processing and generating the data slides in and out of the compact design.

The machine comes with a 17 inch LCD color monitor that displays live Xplane imaging with two live imaging planes on the screen simultaneously. It comes with a range of unique probes for specialized and general application and a heart pulse contact sensor. The purewave crystal technology that has been adapted results in unmatched image clarity and the 3D rendering and xMatrix technology ensures that this machine is one of the top of the line ECG machines around. The adjustable arm lets you manipulate the screen positioning. The user interface is intuitive and easy to understand and combines single push buttons with function calling capabilities and alphanumeric keyboard for information entry and management.

The machine provides for cardiac and vascular clinical diagnostic options and features contrast imaging with improved LVO tissue specific application. The carotid intima medial thickness analysis functionality enables early detection of atherosclerosis risk. It also provides panoramic imaging capability. The machine offers connectivity via Netlink and DICOM and has an integrated DVD RW /CDRW drive.

Its application areas span adult, pediatric, fetal and stress echocardiography along with Vascular, transesophageal and contrast echocardiography applications. It is also used in epicardial echocardiography and perioperative monitoring and diagnostics. Though bulky it is easy to move around and offers portability. The machine addresses volumetric imaging needs on both 2D and 3D fronts.

The bunch of technologically advanced features that have been incorporated on various fronts include Parametric imagining and quantification support of clinical decisions, Auto Ejection Fraction to describe LV function, automated function imaging, Tissue velocity imaging and tissue tracking, tissue synchronization imaging and Intra cardiac Echo Imaging.

These features equip it with optimal performance capability, advanced quantitative analysis tools and increase the spectrum of its applications to provide common parameters and reduced dependency on image magnification by analyzing and tracking tissue structures and endocardial borders.

Automatic functionalities for locating systolic and diastolic frames and analysis of LV functions and clinical decision support enable differentiating disease from non disease segments and offers streamlined workflow. Advanced cardiac imaging capability translates into exceptional detail in information with regard to advanced interventional cardiography using ultrasound ICE imaging technology.

The compact design makes it portable and easy to move around. The comprehensive set of linear and convex transducers enable conduction of more vascular and abdominal exams. The quick and accurate measurement of carotid arterial intima media thickness helps provide early information on atherosclerosis risk.

The wide aperture improves signal to noise ration and spatial resolution for better penetration. Its functionalities extend its scope of application to within the operating room and in anesthesia by addressing perioperative needs and operative monitoring. The use of intra operative probe supports specific diagnoses within the OR and immediately after surgery. The acquired images can be shared on remote PC using eVue option. It also has significant applications in Pediatric echocardiography.

The Voluson E8 Expert BT08 Ultrasound Machine is a power packed piece of medical equipment which boasts of three transducers and is comes with innovative cutting edge technology that delivers crystal clear images with sharp details and helps you identify and diagnose efficiently and accurately

The CrossXBeam CRI generates high definition images that help differentiate tissue borders. The trademark HD flow technology provides extra sensitive scope for vascular study and narrows down overwriting errors. The volume contrast imaging functionality enhances image quality in either single or multi planes for particular volume acquisition.

The machine incorporates a high resolution endovaginal probe that detects the finest details and displays them in 4D during gynecology exams. Wide sector technology from curved array probes increases the breadth of viewing enabling discernment of additional anatomical information.

Matrix array probes provide better visualization through increased resolution. The image automation features based on sonography, such as automated volume count follicle and volume computer aided display calculate number and volume of hypoechoic structures and help standardize the image orientation of the fetal heart by rendering automatic views from single volume acquisitions.

The unique design is small and light and makes the machine portable. It comes with a 19 inch flat screen monitor which reduces stress on the eyes and provides increased clarity and visibility. A fully articulating arm enables console independent monitoring. The control panel can be adjusted for height as per requirement and the intuitive user interface makes it user friendly and reduces keystrokes and extra manual manipulations.

It is mostly an initial examination to rule out abnormalities in the heart effectively. In the event of any suspicious activity the patient is further subject to detailed investigations.

Echocardiogram is similar to an ultrasonography, where a patient’s chest is smeared with transparent gel and a transducer (sound sensitive device), is placed and moved very slowly over the heart. This instrument sends out high frequency sound waves and receives back an ‘echo’ of these waves as reflected by the heart. These echoes are recorded on a moving sheet of paper which is interpreted by cardiologists to check the proper functioning of the heart valves. This procedure is also known as Trans thoracic echocardiogram, it is essential in initial diagnosis of conditions such as coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease etc.

With recent development in modern equipments another procedure known as the Trans oesophageal Echocardiogram is also used in detailed diagnosis of the condition of the heart. It is a procedure similar to endoscopy consisting of a miniature transducer at the end of a long flexible tube with controls on the other end to guide the probe in through the throat in order to capture clearer images for detailed analysis of the heart.

With this indispensable tool, the ability to obtain 3-dimensional images of the heart using a group of minute transducers probed into the heart cavity is invaluable. With appropriate computer programs, one can view cross sections of the heart as well as make a detailed study of the conditions of the heart and determine its treatment.

This procedure is simple and non-evasive; the patient’s throat will be sprayed with a local anaesthetic to avoid discomfort.