Diagnostic

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Record cardiac electrical activity. Description A device that records the heart’s electrical activity through surface electrodes placed on the chest and limbs, producing tracings that show rhythm, conduction intervals, and evidence of ischemia or infarction. ECGs are essential in emergency evaluation of chest pain, syncope, palpitations, and in routine cardiac assessment, … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Test deep tendon reflexes. Description A handheld instrument used to elicit deep tendon reflexes such as the patellar and Achilles reflexes to assess the integrity of peripheral nerves and central nervous system pathways. Reflex testing helps localize neurologic lesions, evaluate neuromuscular disorders, and monitor changes in neurologic status over time. Different … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Inspect ear canal and tympanic membrane. Description A handheld instrument with a light source and magnifying lens used to examine the external auditory canal and tympanic membrane for signs of infection, perforation, cerumen impaction, or foreign bodies. Otoscopy is a routine part of pediatric and adult examinations and helps guide diagnosis … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Examine the retina and optic disc. Description A handheld instrument with adjustable lenses and a light source used to visualize the fundus of the eye, including the retina, optic disc, macula, and retinal vessels, aiding in the diagnosis of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive changes, and optic neuropathies. Direct ophthalmoscopy requires pupil … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Measure body temperature. Description A handheld electronic device used to measure core or peripheral body temperature via oral, axillary, or rectal routes, providing a numeric digital readout within seconds to minutes. Modern digital thermometers use thermistors or thermocouples to convert temperature into an electrical signal and are more accurate and faster … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Magnified examination of cervix and vagina. Description A binocular magnifying instrument that provides a high resolution, illuminated view of the cervix and vaginal epithelium to identify abnormal vascular patterns, acetowhite changes, and lesions after abnormal cytology or positive HPV testing. Colposcopy guides targeted biopsies and treatment decisions for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Obtain tissue samples for histology or cytology. Description Needles designed for core biopsy or fine needle aspiration allow percutaneous sampling of masses in organs such as the breast, liver, thyroid, and lymph nodes under imaging guidance to obtain tissue for histopathologic or cytologic diagnosis. Core biopsy needles retrieve cylindrical tissue cores … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Listen to heart, lung, and bowel sounds. Description An acoustic instrument consisting of a chest piece, tubing, and binaural earpieces used to listen to internal body sounds such as heartbeats, breath sounds, and bowel activity. Clinicians use it to assess cardiac rhythm, detect murmurs, evaluate lung fields for wheeze or crackles, … Read more

Category Diagnostic Typical Use Assess hearing and bone conduction; vibratory sensation. Description A metal fork that produces a fixed frequency tone when struck, used in clinical tests such as Rinne and Weber to differentiate conductive from sensorineural hearing loss and to assess vibratory sensation in neurologic examinations. Tuning forks of different frequencies (commonly 128 Hz … Read more