Everyone loves doctors, and medicine is still one of the top chosen careers globally, both because of its benefits to the community and the income it produces. But what about the behind the scenes of this noble career? What makes hi-tech medicine possible today?
You would be surprised by how many procedures today are done through machines and electromedical equipments, even surgeries are made through screens and robotic limbs. But behind all this advanced world there is a huge team of engineers and technicians that work day and night to create and improve the use of technology in medicine.
Installing and Repairing Equipment
Nowadays there are entire companies dedicated to creating medical equipments, amongst which we could find brands like Siemens AG, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric Co, Medtronic Inc and many more. But at the same time each of these brands work with a company dedicated to distribute, repair and maintain their equipments worldwide.
It is in this companies that you will find most of the Electromedical Technicians and Engineers. Their job consists of studying each equipment until they understand their parts and functioning perfectly, this also allows them to problem solve when it is required. Once they do this, they are able to send each equipment to customers (hospitals, healthcare centres, labs, etc).
Each time they send an equipment to be installed they need to ensure they bring all parts with them, make an inventory of such parts and ensure they are placed in the correct place and order. The same happens when they do repairs, each part they switch under warranty and under normal payments needs to be recorded so that they can keep track of how much the equipment has been manipulated.
Calibrating and programming machines
The next step after installing a machine is to calibrate and program it. Calibration is an initial process but it is also something that is done as a maintenance routine periodically. Calibration involves setting up the right settings that will allow the machine to work precisely and give accurate results.
On the other hand, programming is what will allow the machine to perform the job it was created to. A machine can be programmed differently for different functions but that will depend on the purpose of the equipment. Electrical Safety testing and performance verification and some of the calibration jobs that are usually done on equipments. Such jobs and repairs can be done on-site, working directly in the clinic, or off site, taking the equipment to the distributor’s workshop and then bringing it back to the hospital.
Certifications
Just like in all fields there are certain regulations that professional equipments must follow in order to work safely. Such regulations are usually checked by Certified staff who have been trained specifically in the area.
Electromedical – Technicians and Engineers go through a process of exams and evaluations in order to be certified, such exams include anatomy, electronic and physiology questions, mixed with equipment operation and function. But once this is achieved, whatever company they apply for, or the company that they already work for, will know that they are people who are committed to their growth and to an excellent service, and this is important when we are talking about human health and safety.
Training customers
Another thing that technicians and engineers do is train the customers for them to operate the equipment correctly. You might be surprised at the amount of equipments that yearly get damaged because of bad use from the medical staff, so this is incredibly important not only to save the hospital a big amount of money in repairs but mainly because an equipment that is misused can cause great damage to the patient.
Private trainings, open workshops and conferences take place throughout the year to ensure doctors are empowered to do what they do with excellence and innovation. One thing is true about doctors and people working in the medical field and this is that there is no such thing as a graduation in medicine, for the world continues to develop and technology with it. New diseases that are discovered are followed by new techniques and equipment to fight it, so one thing is for sure, you will never stop learning in this field.
So are you passionate about helping people through science but are not sure if exploring body parts is your thing, then electromedical science and engineering might be your cup of tea. You never know what curiosity, passion and technology can accomplish together.
Tell us! what else do you think Electromedical – Technicians and Engineers do?
