Medical Glossary

Clear, accurate definitions of medical-device and healthcare terms.

A

AED: A portable defibrillator that automatically analyzes the heart rhythm and uses voice and visual prompts so that even lay rescuers can deliver a shock.
Anesthesia machine: A device that prepares and delivers a precise mixture of oxygen, air and anesthetic gases or vapors to the patient, usually incorporating a ventilator and a monitoring sy...
Angiography: Imaging of blood vessels using an injected contrast agent together with X-ray, CT or MRI.
Anolyte: An oxidizing solution produced at the anode of an electrolytic cell from dilute salt water, whose main disinfecting agent is hypochlorous acid.
Arthroscopy: A minimally invasive procedure for viewing, diagnosing and treating problems inside a joint by inserting a thin camera (arthroscope) through small incisions.
Autoclave: A device that sterilizes heat-resistant instruments and materials using pressurized steam at high temperature.
Autorefractometer: A computerized instrument that measures the eye’s refractive error objectively and automatically by projecting light into the eye and analyzing its reflection.

B

Biocompatibility: The ability of a material or medical device to perform its function in contact with body tissues without causing an unacceptable adverse biological response.
Botulinum toxin: A neurotoxic protein that temporarily relaxes muscles by blocking the release of acetylcholine at the nerve–muscle junction; it is used by injection in medicine and aesth...

C

Calibration: Comparing the readings of a measuring device against a known reference standard and adjusting it if necessary, to ensure its measurements fall within a specified accuracy...
Capnography: Monitoring and display of the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide in exhaled air, usually shown as a waveform (capnogram) and an end-tidal value (EtCO2).
Cardiac catheter: A thin, flexible tube guided through a blood vessel to the heart to measure pressures, inject contrast or perform interventional procedures for diagnosis or treatment.
CE marking: A mark by which a manufacturer declares that a product conforms to the applicable safety, health and performance requirements of European Union legislation, including the...
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM): A system that uses a small sensor under the skin to measure glucose levels in interstitial fluid continuously, day and night, and display their trends.
Cryolipolysis: A nonsurgical method of localized subcutaneous fat reduction in which controlled cooling damages fat cells, which are then gradually cleared by the body.
CT scan: An imaging technique that rotates an X-ray tube around the body and uses computer processing to produce cross-sectional and three-dimensional images.

D

Defibrillator: A device that delivers a controlled electric shock to the heart to terminate certain life-threatening arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation.
Dental implant: A post, usually made of titanium or zirconia, placed in the jawbone to replace a tooth root and support a crown, bridge or denture.
Dermal filler: An injectable substance placed beneath the skin to restore volume, fill wrinkles or contour areas of the face.
Dietary supplement: An oral product, such as a vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal extract, intended to supplement the diet.
Digital thermometer: A thermometer that uses an electronic sensor to measure body temperature in the mouth, armpit, rectum, ear or on the forehead and displays it as a number.
Disinfection: A process that eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, from inanimate surfaces and objects.
Doppler ultrasound: An ultrasound technique that assesses the direction and speed of blood flow by measuring the frequency shift of waves reflected from moving red blood cells.

E

ECG lead: Each electrical view of the heart in an ECG, derived from the potential difference between specific electrodes; a standard ECG has twelve leads.
Electrocardiography (ECG): A recording of the heart’s electrical activity using electrodes placed on the skin, used to assess the heart’s rhythm and electrical conduction.
Electrosurgical unit: A device that uses high-frequency electric current to cut tissue or to coagulate it to control bleeding.
Endoscope: A rigid or flexible tubular instrument with a light source and an imaging system, used to view the inside of body organs and cavities and to perform certain diagnostic or...

F

Fogging: A method of disinfecting rooms and surfaces in which a machine turns a disinfectant solution into very fine droplets and disperses them into the air.

G

Glucometer: A portable device that measures blood glucose concentration from a drop of capillary blood applied to a test strip.

H

HbA1c: A laboratory measure of the percentage of hemoglobin bound to glucose, reflecting average blood glucose over roughly the previous two to three months.
Heart-lung machine: A machine that temporarily takes over the pumping function of the heart and the gas exchange of the lungs during open-heart surgery.
HIFU: A technology that focuses ultrasound energy at a defined depth in tissue to produce controlled localized heating without cutting the skin; in aesthetic medicine it is use...
Holter monitor: A portable device that continuously records the ECG, typically for 24 to 48 hours or longer, during normal daily activities.
Hyaluronic acid: A polysaccharide naturally present in skin, joints and connective tissue with a high capacity to retain water; its cross-linked form is the most common material in dermal...
Hysteroscopy: Direct viewing of the uterine cavity with a thin, camera-equipped instrument (hysteroscope) inserted through the cervix, used for diagnosis or treatment.

I

Implant abutment: A connecting component screwed or fixed onto a dental implant that serves as the interface between the implant and the crown or prosthesis.
Infusion pump: A device that delivers fluids, medications or nutrients into a patient’s body at controlled rates and in controlled amounts.
Intraoral radiography: Radiographic imaging in which the image receptor (film or sensor) is placed inside the mouth, such as periapical and bitewing radiographs.
IRC code: An identification code issued by the Iran Food and Drug Administration to health products authorized in Iran, including medical devices, used to verify a product’s regist...
ISO 13485: An international standard that specifies quality management system requirements for organizations involved in the design, production, distribution or servicing of medical...
IV cannula: A thin, flexible tube placed in a peripheral vein to give fluids and medications or draw blood.

L

Laparoscopy: A minimally invasive surgical technique performed through small incisions using a camera (laparoscope) in the abdomen.
Laryngoscope: An instrument with a blade and a light source used to view the larynx and vocal cords, particularly during tracheal intubation.

M

MRI: An imaging technique that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves, without ionizing radiation, to produce detailed images of soft tissues and organs.

N

Nebulizer: A device that converts liquid medication into a fine mist so it can be inhaled into the lungs through a mask or mouthpiece.

O

Osseointegration: The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant, without intervening soft tissue.
Oxygenator: A component of an extracorporeal circuit that adds oxygen to the blood and removes carbon dioxide from it across a membrane.

P

Patient monitor: A device that continuously measures and displays a patient’s vital signs, such as ECG, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature, an...
Perfusion: In cardiac surgery, the use of extracorporeal circulation with a heart-lung machine to maintain blood circulation and oxygenation during the operation; more generally, bl...
PICC: A central venous catheter inserted through a vein in the arm, with its tip positioned in a large vein near the heart.
Pulse oximeter: A noninvasive device that passes light through tissue, usually a fingertip, to measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate.

R

Radiography: Two-dimensional imaging of internal body structures made by passing X-rays through the body and recording them on film or a digital detector.
RVG (RadioVisioGraphy): A digital intraoral radiography system that uses an electronic sensor instead of film and displays the image immediately on a computer.

S

Slit lamp: A binocular microscope with an adjustable narrow beam of light, used for magnified examination of the front of the eye and, with auxiliary lenses, its posterior structure...
Sphygmomanometer: An instrument for measuring arterial blood pressure, consisting of an inflatable cuff and a mercury, aneroid or digital pressure gauge.
SpO2: The estimated percentage of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin in arterial blood, measured noninvasively, usually with a pulse oximeter.
Sterilization: A process that eliminates all forms of microbial life, including spores, from instruments and surfaces.
Surgical stapler: A surgical instrument that closes or joins tissue by placing rows of small staples; some types cut the tissue at the same time.
Syringe pump: A type of infusion pump that delivers small volumes of medication with high accuracy by driving a syringe plunger.

T

Trocar: A surgical instrument that creates an access port for instruments and cameras in minimally invasive surgery.

U

Ultrasound: A medical imaging technique that sends high-frequency sound waves into the body and records their echoes to produce real-time images of internal organs and tissues withou...

V

Ventilator: A device that delivers breathing gas to the lungs to mechanically support a patient’s breathing, either fully or partially.
Video laryngoscope: A laryngoscope with a small camera in the blade that displays the larynx on a screen, allowing indirect viewing of the airway during intubation.