MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
GENERAL
Biobed
The primary biobed in sickbay is designed for surgical purposes, although it is also the default bed for examinations conducted by the chief medical officer. It has various hookups for surgical equipment, and is typically covered by a large sensor cluster. Surgical beds usually have a large display for vital signs and other information adjacent to the bed. Serious surgeries usually require a larger biobed with more specialized sensors and surgical equipment.
Intensive care
Other biobeds line the perimeter of sickbay. These beds are generally used for patients under intensive care or in recovery. Information on a patient's medical status is typically displayed on a biofunction monitor at the head of the bed.
Stasis units
A biobed can be modified for stasis purposes. A patient too critically injured for a starship crew to care for at present can be placed in suspended animation. They can be revived once help arrives or a crisis situation is resolved. (TNG: "Genesis") Stasis beds can be used for other purposes as well, such as supporting a holographic chamber or a biotemporal chamber.
OB/GYN
Another type of biobed is designed for OB/GYN purposes. It is reclined and styled like a chair. It is generally used for deliveries. Not all starships have this type of bed available, however.Surgical
Decompression Chamber
A variable atmosphere enclosure, Decompression Chambers are used to place a patient in an environment with either increased or decreased pressure. This can be to slow down the progress of a pathogen or to simply make the patient more comfortable by providing an environment closer to that of their home world In some cases, these chambers can be equipped with variable gravitational plating allowing for a change in gravity ranging from Zero G (Weightlessness) up to 5Gs.
Emergency Medical Holographic Program (EMH)
It was developed by Dr. Lewis Zimmerman at the Jupiter Station Holoprogramming Center as the embodiment of modern medicine. The EMH is programmed with over 5 million possible treatments from the collective information of 2000 medical references and the experience of 47 individual medical officers. The EMH is also supplimented with contingency programs and adaptive programs to in essence learn while serving as a supplement of a normal medical staff in cases of emergency.
Originally the Mark I EMH was only meant to function for a maximum of 1500 hours (62.5 days); after this time, memory degradation would occur. With advancements in computer, holographic and engineering, this lifespan was greatly increased allowing an EMH to remain active for months and even years.
As of 2376, there have been four versions of the EMH, called Mark I, II, III and IV. The Mark I's outer appearance was a copy of its inventor, Dr. Zimmerman. However, as the Mark II was released, the first version soon seemed obsolete and, thus, was reconfigured to scrape plasma conduits or to mine Dilithium ore. Furthermore, the patterns of behaviour of the following versions were designed to be more pleasant and courteous and its outer appearance was changed. In addition to that, new ship designs enabled full mobility for the EMH as the whole ship was outfitted with holographic projectors.
Mechanics of the EMH
The EMH is an empty shell with nothing beneath the apparent surface to avoid wasting Computer power simulating unnecessary internal organs.
Holodecks use omnidirectional holographic diodes. A sickbay is fitted with a system of OHDs that project an image of the EMH. Each projects a complete image. Visible portions change as the hologram moves, creating an illusion of fluid motion.
Magnetic containment fields allow the EMH to interact with physical objects. These force fields move as the EMH moves to create the appearance of solid matter. The containment fields can be shut off, allowing objects and people to pass through him.
Similar OHDs and magnetic fields are added to other parts of a ship, allowing the hologram to leave sickbay.
An EMH's cohesion can range from solid to intangible, and their appearance as well as gender can be modified by altering the base programing and appropriate subroutines.The Emergency Medical Hologram (abbreviated: EMH) is a sophisticated holographic character developed in the early 2370s by Starfleet and used on most Federation starships in the late 24th century.
Hypospray
The 23rd century Federation hypospray resembled the intravenous needles of previous centuries, whilst the 24th century version of the device was more compact, employing an angled head and rounded tip to transfer the drug more easily. Controls at the injection head set the dosage to be injected.
The typical injection site used is the side of the neck, but the hypospray can inject even through clothing.A hypospray (colloquially, hypo) is a medical device used to inject liquids into the body. The system uses a noninvasive transport mechanism of compressed air to transfer the injectant from the device into the body without the use of a needle, ensuring that the skin is not punctured during use, thus reducing the risk of infection. Various drugs can be used, inserted into the hypo in vials attached to the end of the instrument.
Long-term Medical Holographic Program (LMH)
The Long-term Medical Hologram (abbreviated: LMH) was an attempt by Dr. Louis Zimmerman to extend the usability of his previous work, the EMH, to isolated bases and outposts as a fully-fledged medical officer. As before, Zimmerman planned to use a human subject as the basis for the LMH. Eventually the work done on the LMH was incorporated into the already exsisting EMH, making them more durable and able to function for extended periods of time without ever having to be deactivated.
Medkit
A group of basic first-aid tools and medication contained in a small, portable case allowing any member of a medical staff to have with them the basic for treating injuries on sight. The content of a Medkits can be modified according tot he needs of an away mission, if these general parameters are previously known.
Stasis Unit
While in statis, all bio-chemical functions are halted meaning that the individual place in such a state will have no recollection or concept of the time spent in this state.
An enclosed bio-containment area used to stop all bio-chemical processes within a living being. This is normally used to allow for the safe transport of a patient from one location to another without risking their condition to deteriorate. Statis Units have also been used to place people in a sort of hybernation for extended space travels or to mask their biosigns.
MONITORS and SCANNERS
Biofunction Monitor
The biofunction monitor is a small display located at the head of some biobeds. It gives continually updated information on patient vital signs, such as pulse, respiration, temperature, and brain activity. They have been a staple of starship sickbays since the NX class.
Medical Tricorder
This device has seen many changes over the years as it became smaller and more detailed in its range of scans.The medical tricorder is a specialized version of the standard tricorder. It is equipped with sensors and analysis software tailored for medical diagnostic purposes. They are usually the first tool a Starfleet doctor utilizes when assessing a patient's condition. Medical tricorders can function aboard ship in sickbay as well as on away missions.
Neurocortical Monitor
A small device afixed tot he forehead of a patient designed to closely monitor neurological activity. In some instances, these monitors can also double as a stabilizer, insuring that the neurological activity in a patient does not drop below or exceed the norms.
Sensor Cluster
This unit contained a number of sophisticated biosensors, and could also project a forcefield for restraining patients or maintaining a sterile environment. The sensor Cluster was designed to make available to an operating Doctor as much information as possible on the condition of a patient including the most detailed of genetical bioreadings.
The sensor cluster is a large, circular array of sensors located over the primary biobed.
SURGICAL
Exoscalpel
It employs laser beams make an incision in skin or other tissue. After completion of surgery, a dermal regenerator can be used to repair the cut tissue.The exoscalpel is a precision surgical instrument, and the medical version of a laser scalpel.
Laser Scalpel
The medical version, for use in surgeries, was called an exoscalpel.
Laser scalpels are specialized instruments used for creating incisions in various types of material. They use finely-tuned laser beams to make their cuts.
TISSUE REGENERATION
Bioregenerative Field
An energy field specifically modulated to stimulate the regeneration of cells within a body while keeping it in a perfectly sterile and contained area.
Biotemporal Chamber
An eperimental chamber that use a tachyon field to place the biomatter inside in a state of temporal acceleration causing tissue to regenerate at a faster rate. So far this type of tissue regeneration has only been used on plants and inanimate biomatter.
Dermal Regenerator
Working on the same principle as a Bioregeneraive Field, the Dermal Regenerator allows for a much more targetted effect.
The dermal regenerator is a common, easily operable medical tool used by several civilizations to heal minor skin wounds, such as cuts and burns. The dermal regenerator can also be used to revert surgically modified skin to its normal state, as well as to remove scars.
TISSUE APPLICATIONS
Dermal Stimulator
The dermal stimulator is a Starfleet medical instrument used in cosmetic facial alterations, allowing for the modification of skin texture, elesticity and pigmentation.
Genitronic Replicator
It was in the prototype stages in 2368, when it had very low success rates during holographic simulations. Starfleet had turned down Russell's request to test it on a humanoid patient.
Because of various problems with this process, the Geitronic Repicator is currently operating with only an 88% success rate. This has caused it to be dismissed by many Doctors as a useful medical tool.The genitronic replicator is a revolutionary medical device developed by Dr. Toby Russell. The genetronic replicator could scan the genetic information in a damaged organ, and replicate an entirely new, healthy organ for replacement.
T-cell Stimulator
This medical tool is specifically designed to promot the creation of T-Cells in the target body, thus increasing its natural ability to fight off infections.
CARDIOPULMONARY APPLICATIONS
Cardiostimulator
A medical device that uses targetted electrical pulses to stimulate the heart muscle into restarting after it has stopped. Although the shape and size of this tool has greatly changed over the centuries, the basic concept of how it works has remained the same.
Pulmonary Support Unit
A medical unit used to regulate, supplement or in extreme cases replace the functions of the lungs. In most cases non invasive methods are used by this unit to accomplish this, but in extreme cases more direct means may have to be employed to insure that the lungs continue functioning properly.
NEUROLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
Alpha-Wave Inducer
A small device afixed to the temple of a patient which forces the brain into a relax state, usually when sleeping. Alpha-waves were discovered to be generated by the brain when an individual is in deep sleep. In later yeras it was also discovered that these brain-wave patterns could be artificially triggered causing the patient to fall into a deep, relaxing sleep.
Cortical Stimulator
Cortical stimulators are standard equipment in Starfleet vessel sickbays in the 24th century, and serve a similar function to the cardiostimulator.The cortical stimulator is a medical device used to revive or stabilize critical patients by delivering an electrical shock to induce brain activity. It is almost always attached to the temples of humanoids.
Delta-Wave Inducer
A delta-wave inducer is used during an operation to keep the patient asleep, it also increases the bodys natural endorphin production to help accelerate the healing process.
Motor Assist Band
They are designed to create electrical impulses in damaged tissue, or route weak nervous signals around nonfunctional tissue. Although they are very sophisticated devices, it may take several days and even weeks to master their use and even then, patients rarely recover one hundred percent of their mobility.
The motor assist bands are also used to train the nervous system of a patient before surgery to implant neural transducers.These external muscular stimulant are small, rectangular devices attached to a strap, designed to be wrapped around a humanoid limb.
Neural Implant
Neural Implants are small biological fibers meant to interface with surrounding nerves. In the majority of cases, these implants are meant to act as a additional neurvous stimulant, but they can also be bio-chemically induced with memory ingrams and implants into the cerebro-cortex of an individual effectively transplanting new memories.
Neural Neutralizer
Operation of the device was straightforward. One control turned the device on and off, and another selected the intensity of the beam. The therapist could communicate with the patient through a microphone. The remainder of the control panel consisted of status indicator lamps.
The neural neutralizer was somewhat effective as a means of implanting suggestions. It created in the patient a profound sense of loneliness, also described as an "emptiness". Anything said to the patient while he was in this state would become his own thoughts. The effectiveness varied according to the complexity of the suggestion, the number of times it had been repeated, the volume of the beam, the strength of the patient's will, and the degree to which the suggestion was opposed by his own desires. Long term or repeated exposure could produce profound mental illness and synaptic damage. Additionally, the "emptying" effect could be immediately lethal; in 2266, Dr. Tristan Adams was killed by accidental, unsupervised exposure to the beam.The neural neutralizer was a device used at the Tantalus Penal Colony in 2266, and perhaps earlier. It was an outgrowth of experimental beam neutralization technologies developed on EARTH. It consisted of a room containing a chair in which the patient sat. Above him was the beam emitter, a round orange lens. A windowed alcove connected to the room housed the control panel and space for the therapist, who could view the patient through the window.
Neural Transducer
Neural transducers are small devices used to restore mobility to physically disabled individuals. They can pick up the neural signals from the brain and then stimulate the appropriate muscles. The implants are generally not one hundred percent effective, but do allow a patient to recover most mobility. Motor assist bands are first used to train the patient's nervous system before surgery.
Neurolink
A hardwire connection between two neuro-nets, usually two people. With the advancements in positronic brain technology and neural-implants, some neurolinks have been established between living brains and mechanical ones, such as a ship's main computer, for brief periods of time.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Microvirus
A hardware viral infection created by small robots meant to disable mechanical devices.
Nanites
Nanites are tiny robotic devices that are used in many advanced cultures including the Federation and the Borg. These devices can be used for medical purposes, repairing damaged systems and any number of other uses where larger tools are unable to function.
Nanoprobe
Nanoprobes can also be modified to attack specific cells which contains a virus or some other disease and so help the patient recover.
Nanoprobes are microscopic robotic devices designed by the Borg for the primary purpose of assimilation. Injected into a target's bloodstream via assimilation tubules, the nanoprobes immediately begin to take over the host cells' functions. Nanoprobes can be also be modified for a variety of medical and technical tasks.
ORGAN REPLACEMENTS
Cardiac Implant
Any well equiped medical facility can perform this procedure.
The neural caliper is used to anaesthesize the patient after which the operation begins. The cardiac implant is placed via a mid line entry.
When the operation is finished the patient has to stay in post-op for at least 4 hours.A Cardiac implant replaces the vital cardiac functions in a humanoid lifeform. Replacement will only be done if there is no other medical treatment available. The procedure itself is done conform VanDorens technique and has a mortality rate of 2.4%
Ocular Implant
In the Federation, ocular implants are used to give eyesight to blind or visually disabled individuals, eliminating the need for a VISOR.
These implants are similar in appearance to a normal humanoid eye, but upon closer inspection reveal mechanical detail on the irises and pupils. They offered similar abilities to the VISOR, including infrared heat detection and telescopic zooming.
An ocular implant is a medical device which replaces or enhances the eyesight of an individual.
