BTEC 221 - Medical Instrumentation

A biomedical equipment technician explains his job duties and how he feels about helping people through his work. Learn how to network and to use educational resources. This job is stable, pays well, and has an excellent job outlook

100,000 patients receive implantable defibrillators each year. These devices can save lives by shocking hearts back into a normal rhythm, but did you know they can also be easily hacked into? Now electrical engineers and computer scientists have found a way to password protect pacemakers and defibrillators.

Cardiomyopathy is a weakness of the heart muscle. It has many causes and often leads to heart failure when the needs of the body are not met by the weakened heart. It is estimated that 300,000 Australians are living with heart failure. Not all people with cardiomyopathy develop symptoms of heart failure. Now with improved medications and devices such as implanted defibrillators people are living for many years and with better quality of life. Self management with the assistance of a heart failure team and general practitioner is an important part of improving these outcomes.