Medical Diagnosis Tools

Medical Diagnosis Tools

In this lesson we will

• Look at different common medical devices used to diagnosis various ailments and diseases

• Understand how these devices work and how they were designed

• Have a look at how much the devices cost in Australia

The Stethoscope

Made to listen to internal noises. The diaphragm picks up the sound after contact with the patient, which funnels into the bell at the back. The sound then travels through the tubing and into the earpieces for the wearer to hear.

Stethoscope Costs in Australia

• Cheapest - $17.18

• Most expensive - $314.84

• According to teammed.com.au

The Otoscope

• Uses a light and lens combination to look in the ears

• Allows physicians to easily diagnose physical problems of the ears

• Most commonly diagnoses ear infections

Otoscope Costs in Australia

• Cheapest - $108.90

• Most expensive - $1307.90

• According to teammed.com.au

Sphygmomanometer

• Measures blood pressure

• Takes the systolic pressure (pressure in arteries when your heart beats) and diastolic pressure (pressure in heart between beats) and expresses as a fraction

• Can diagnose many heart and vessel defects

Sphygmomanometer Prices Australia

• Aneroid cheapest $37.51, digital cheapest $108.90

• Aneroid most expensive $647.90, digital most expensive $713.90

• According to teammed.com.au

Other diagnosing devices and their relative costs

• MRI machine - $15,000 to $3 million. Scans in Australia cost $100 to $500

• X-ray machines cost around $20k and are usually not portable.

• Can you think of any other common diagnostic tools that we take for granted in Australia?

Discussion

How do you think poorer countries access medical diagnostic devices?

Malaria

A solution to the problem