I85PREP
⌘ K
CBET study materials
CBET study resources

CBET: Healthcare Technology and Function

CBET · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Healthcare Technology and Function

Why it matters

This domain asks what a device does, how it does it, and which mode or accessory is appropriate. You do not need to design a ventilator, but you must recognize its subsystems and the parameter each one controls.

Core concepts to master

  • Physiologic monitoring: ECG electrodes and leads, SpO2 (pulse oximetry, red/infrared absorption), NIBP (oscillometric cuff), capnography (CO2 absorption), temperature, and the central station.
  • Cardiac therapy: defibrillators (energy in joules, synchronized cardioversion vs unsynchronized defibrillation), pacemakers (rate, output, sensing), and AEDs.
  • Infusion and fluid delivery: volumetric vs syringe pumps, flow rate, occlusion alarms, and dose-error reduction software.
  • Respiratory: ventilators (volume vs pressure modes, PEEP, tidal volume, FiO2), anesthesia machines (vaporizer, breathing circuit, scavenging), and oxygen delivery.
  • Surgical and specialty: electrosurgical units (cut vs coagulation, return electrode), lasers, tourniquets, and endoscopy.
  • Imaging and lab: X-ray/CT/MRI/ultrasound principles, and analyzers, centrifuges, and incubators.
  • Sterilization and environment: autoclave cycles and monitoring.

Traps

Confusing synchronized cardioversion with defibrillation; mixing ventilator modes; assuming higher energy is always better; forgetting that a return electrode (dispersive pad) is part of the electrosurgical circuit; and mixing up which device uses which physiologic principle.

Rule of thumb

Name the energy or signal, the sensor, and the control loop. For any device ask: what is delivered or measured, what senses it, and what feedback closes the loop? That framework answers most “which mode/parameter” items.

Worked example

A patient in ventricular fibrillation needs immediate unsynchronized high-energy delivery. A patient with atrial fibrillation and a pulse may receive synchronized cardioversion, where the shock is timed to the QRS. Same machine family, different synchronization and energy - read the stem for a pulse and a rhythm.