Springer Handbook of Medical Technology (2012 edition)

Abstract

The Springer Handbook of Medical Technology provides basic-to-advanced information on medical technology used in hospitals. It is organized into seven main sections: Basics of Medical Technology, Functional Diagnostic Devices, Medical Imaging, Therapeutic Devices, Monitoring, Medical Information Processing, and Equipment and Tools. In the section on basics, the authors provide a brief history on how medicine and technology come together to improve healthcare. The authors describe early breakthroughs in medical technology, the transformation from analog to digital technology, and health policy. The book covers almost all medical equipment with respect to the physiological and technological theory behind each device, along with its design, development, and practical applications. This book should be on the bookshelf of every professional in the field of healthcare technology management.Audience: The handbook is an excellent resource for working professionals in healthcare technology, such as clinical engineers. It also would be useful to undergraduate and graduate students of biomedical engineering or medical physics. Additionally, the book would be helpful in preparing for certification exams, such as those for biomedical equipment technician or a laboratory equipment specialist.Features: If “a picture is worth a thousand words,” it's worth pointing out that this book has 1,008 photographs and 139 tables. These images and tables help readers understand the concepts and information, and they provide visualization of real medical equipment, offering more than simple block diagrams. The material includes some chapters usually not seen in traditional biomedical instrumentation books: Basic Electronics in Medicine, Surgical Scissors, Quality Management in Medical Technology, Intelligent Textiles and Usability of Medical Devices. The book has three indexes: contents, detailed contents, and subject Index, all of which are very convenient when looking for a specific topic. The book also includes a short biography and contact details for each author. This feature is very helpful; if I have any questions, I can directly contact the author of that chapter. Another appealing feature is that the complete book can be purchased in an e-book format. The most beneficial feature for students may be its price: If your university is a part of the Springer Link program, you will have free access to the entire e-book. I am grateful to Springer for its generosity by providing free access to the full version of the book.Assessment: The authors have made a tremendous effort to ensure that the reader not only understands the technology behind these devices, but also the physiology and history. Each chapter starts with a brief overview of the topic and then provides details on theory (with formulas, diagrams, and tables), technology, and application. Each chapter ends with a number of references. Since it is not a text book, it does not have any numerical problems for students to solve. The addition of some numerical problems in each chapter would have made this book perfect for students.My only major concern would be the lack of specific information on the healthcare technology management (HTM) field. At least one chapter on HTM and its importance would have been a valuable addition. However, it is still an excellent book for understanding how medical devices work and the theory and technology behind them. I strongly recommend it as a reference book.