Many of us are familiar with the most common type of medical imaging equipment, X-rays, but did you know that there are many different types of imaging machines that help doctors diagnose health issues? The advances in medical imaging equipment are amazing, and an example of some machines you might not know as much about are electron microscopes, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI’s), ultrasounds.

Electron microscopes are a great tool for physicians and clinicians to get a better sense of what’s going on at the basest level. Because electron microscopes can magnify at a level of 2,000,000 times, they are used in anatomic pathology, which identifies orgnalles within a patient’s cells. Although immunhistochemistry, a new method has taken some of the focus off of electron microscopy, this essential medical imaging equipment is irreplaceable for the identification of immotile cilia syndrome, the diagnosis of kidney disease, and many other things.

Most of us have heard of MRI’s, but what are they exactly? Simply explained, a magnetic resonance imaging scanner uses the power of magnets to polarize and excite the hydrogen nuclei in water molecules that are present in all human tissues, and this then produces a detectable signal which can be interpreted to create images of the body. This type of medical equipment is especially useful for identifying soft tissue problems, such as those in the joints or the brain, because X-Rays work more specifically for harder tissues like bone.

Another medical imaging machine you may have heard of are ultrasounds, especially for pregnant women looking at their unborn babies. It is have very broad uses in medicine however, including imaging the abdomen, heart, breast, muscles, tendons, arteries and veins. How does it work and what do doctors use it for? Medical ultrasound instruments use high frequency broadband sound waves in varying degress in the megahertz range to produce 3-dimensional images. These ultrasound images do not have the anatomical detail of images produced by an MRI machine, it is widely used because it is appears to not have any adverse side effects and is safe to use. Ultrasounds are also relatively inexpensive as opposed to catscans or MRI’s, so they continue to be a staple in medical offices and hospitals.

These are just three examples of the medical imaging equipment available today. Technology continues to advance and there are sure to be many more exciting developments to come in the world of medical equipment and supplies, and you can expect the level of healthcare to commensurately increase.

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If you are in the line of work where you save people’s lives for a living – then chances are you are like every other professional person out there. You need specific supplies and tools to do your job right. Thankfully, since this is the Internet, you have a lot of different options in front of you as far as what is available, what options and styles you can choose from and what kinds of prices you are going to be looking at. Since this is the Internet, you probably chose to shop online for things such as EMS gear, EMT supplies and emergency medical supplies because you have been hearing about all the benefits.

First off, this is really convenient. It’s all about saving time and buying items quickly – even from your home or office. Secondly, if you need a specific product, even something that is rare, you can find it online. You simply need to find the right company to work with. And lastly, the biggest reason people shop online? It’s probably because of the low prices. Even for supplies that are high-end, you will find price drops for online supplies versus online supplies. As far as variety goes, here are a few items you can buy online.

- Urological Catheters: A lot of the items you can find are going to vary by type of use as well. In this instance, the Urological Catheters are usually used in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. You have a few different styles available such as latex, external, intermittent, reusable, FOLEY and even a touchless option.

- Tracheotomy Care: These are obviously used for surgical operations on the neck to obtain a target air passage through an incision in the trachea. These are executed by paramedics, veterinarians, emergency doctors and operating surgeons. Both surgical and trans-cutaneous techniques are now widely used in the medical field. Options include suction catheters, pumps, humidification, replacement parts, tubes and tracheal care and cleaning.

- Surgical Supplies: This is a HUGE category to choose from. You can pick from any style of products, services, items, types of doctors, types of surgeries such as cardiovascular, liposuction, micro surgery, dermal, etc. If anything this is the one category where you might have a lot of trouble finding what you want, but that isn’t because of the minimal products available, it’s because of the LARGE number of products available. Most sites will have a surgical section which will then allow you to narrow down your choices – which is very helpful in this instance!

- Specialty Wound Care: These specialty wound care products are designed specifically for burns and cuts. They can also be used for drainage, absorbing blood, composite dressings, etc. You have everything from compression bandages and foam dressings to Hydrocolloid Alginate dressings and Sodium Chloride dressings available to you. Some of these are going to simply be used to “cover” up and aid in the compression of the area where the wound is. While others will actually be used to keep the pain at a minimal degree. I have also seen Hydro-cortisone wound care as well.

- Respiratory: Various respiratory problems can be used with these products such as obstructive conditions, restrictive conditions, vascular disease, infectious or environmental diseases. Disorders of these diseases are oftentimes treated by a pulmonologist, but products such as irrigation, asthmatic care and oxygen therapy is oftentimes used by hospitals and EMT professionals. You can also find accessories in this section as well such as compressors for Nebulizers and masks for CPAP and bi-level ventilation.

If you are an EMS, EMT or other health professional, know that you can get quality supplies – no matter the type, style or function it is used for, and you can find them quickly and easily

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