What skills does a medical device engineering technician need?

A medical device engineering technician needs 34 essential skills including design drawings, medical device test procedures, medical devices materials, pneumatics, electricity. Core competencies include .

Will AI replace medical device engineering technician jobs?

The AI disruption score for medical device engineering technician is 29/100 (low risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Engineering ServicesScience and engineering associate professionalsISCO 3114

medical device engineering technician

Medical device engineering technicians collaborate with medical device engineers in the design, development and production of medical-technical systems, installations, and equipment such as pacemakers, MRI machines, and X-ray devices. They build, install, inspect, modify, repair, calibrate, and maintain medical-technical equipment and support systems. Medical device engineering technicians are responsible for the operational readiness, safe use, economic operation and the appropriate procurement of medical equipment and facilities in hospitals.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (34)

design drawingsdesign drawingsThe drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.medical device test proceduresmedical device test proceduresThe methods of testing the quality, accuracy, and performance of medical devices and their materials and components before, during, and after the building of the systems.medical devices materialsmedical devices materialsThe different materials used to create medical devices such as polymer materials, thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather. In the choice of materials, attention must be pai...pneumaticspneumaticsThe application of pressurised gas to produce mechanical motion.electricityelectricityThe principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.electrical wiring planselectrical wiring plansPictorial representation of an electrical circuit. It shows the components of the circuit as simplified shapes, and the power and signal connections between the devices. It gives information about the...biomedical engineeringbiomedical engineeringThe biomedical engineering processes used to create medical devices, prostheses and in treatments.medical devicesmedical devicesEquipment and devices used in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of medical issues. Medical devices cover a wide range of products, ranging from syringes and protheses to MRI machinery and heari...medical device regulationsmedical device regulationsThe set of national and international regulations with regards to the manufacture, safety, and distribution of medical devices.mechanicsmechanicsTheoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.wear cleanroom suitwear cleanroom suitWear garments appropriate for environments that require a high level of cleanliness to control the level of contamination.test medical devicestest medical devicesMake sure the medical devices fit the patient and test and evaluate them to ensure they work as intended. Make adjustments to ensure proper fit, function and comfort.inspect quality of productsinspect quality of productsUse various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.resolve equipment malfunctionsresolve equipment malfunctionsIdentify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions. Communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.record test datarecord test dataRecord data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptiona...adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.perform test runperform test runPerform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, ...manufacture medical devicesmanufacture medical devicesPut together medical devices according to company specifications and national and international regulations. Use specialised materials, tools, and machinery to assemble the medical devices. Apply mold...align componentsalign componentsAlign and lay out components in order to put them together correctly according to blueprints and technical plans.install electrical and electronic equipmentinstall electrical and electronic equipmentInstall equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work, or equipment to generate, transfer or measure such currents and fields. This equipment includes sw...conduct routine machinery checksconduct routine machinery checksCheck machinery and equipment to ensure reliable performance during use and operations in worksites.use testing equipmentuse testing equipmentUse equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.perform maintenance on installed equipmentperform maintenance on installed equipmentPerform the maintenance on installed equipment on-site. Follow procedures to avoid uninstalling equipment from machinery or vehicles.install pneumatic systemsinstall pneumatic systemsInstall systems and components that use pneumatics to create mechanical movements such as air brakes, pneumatic cylinders, air compressors and other systems.consult technical resourcesconsult technical resourcesRead and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.read engineering drawingsread engineering drawingsRead the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.repair medical devicesrepair medical devicesRepair or modify medical appliances and supportive devices according to the specifications.use measurement instrumentsuse measurement instrumentsUse different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.liaise with engineersliaise with engineersCollaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.fasten componentsfasten componentsFasten components together according to blueprints and technical plans in order to create subassemblies or finished products.operate scientific measuring equipmentoperate scientific measuring equipmentOperate devices, machinery, and equipment designed for scientific measurement. Scientific equipment consists of specialised measuring instruments refined to facilitate the acquisition of data.assist scientific researchassist scientific researchAssist engineers or scientists with conducting experiments, performing analysis, developing new products or processes, constructing theory, and quality control.prepare production prototypesprepare production prototypesPrepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.maintain medical devicesmaintain medical devicesEnsure all medical devices and appliances are properly stored and taken care of so they maintain their functionality and appearance.

Optional (44)

biomedical sciencebiomedical scienceThe principles of the natural sciences applied to medicine. Medical sciences such as medical microbiology and clinical virology apply biology principles for medical knowledge and invention.electrical engineeringelectrical engineeringThe field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.radiation physics in healthcareradiation physics in healthcareThe radiation physics related to conventional radiology, CT, MRI, ultrasound, diagnostic nuclear medicine and their principles such as areas of application, indications, contraindications, limitations...firmwarefirmwareFirmware is a software program with a read-only memory (ROM) and a set of instructions that is permanently inscribed on a hardware device. Firmware is commonly used in electronic systems such as compu...medical imaging technologymedical imaging technologySet of technologies used to creating visual representations of the body interior for the purposes of clinical analysis.diagnostic radiologydiagnostic radiologyDiagnostic radiology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.biotechnologybiotechnologyThe technology that uses, modifies or harnesses biological systems, organisms and cellular components to develop new technologies and products for specific uses.hydraulicshydraulicsThe power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.CAE softwareCAE softwareThe software to perform computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis tasks such as Finite Element Analysis and Computional Fluid Dynamics.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.electronicselectronicsThe functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications.mechanical engineeringmechanical engineeringDiscipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.human anatomyhuman anatomyThe dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and ...CAD softwareCAD softwareThe computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.biomedical techniquesbiomedical techniquesThe various methods and techniques used in biomedical laboratory such as molecular and biomedical techniques, imaging techniques, genetic engineering, electrophysiology techniques and in silico techni...mechatronicsmechatronicsMultidisciplinary field of engineering that combines principles of electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering in the ...manage inspections of equipmentmanage inspections of equipmentMonitor formal or official viewings and examinations in order to regularly test and inspect property and equipment.monitor machine operationsmonitor machine operationsObserving machine operations and evaluating product quality thereby ensuring conformity to standards.perform risk analysisperform risk analysisIdentify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.order suppliesorder suppliesCommand products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.solder electronicssolder electronicsOperate and use soldering tools and soldering iron, which supply high temperatures to melt the solder and to join electronic components.operate welding equipmentoperate welding equipmentUse welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, wearing protective eyewear during the working process.advise on safety improvementsadvise on safety improvementsProvide relevant recommendations following the conclusion of an investigation; ensure that recommendations are duly considered and where appropriate acted upon.negotiate sales contractsnegotiate sales contractsCome to an agreement between commercial partners with a focus on terms and conditions, specifications, delivery time, price etc.perform ICT troubleshootingperform ICT troubleshootingIdentify problems with servers, desktops, printers, networks, and remote access, and perform actions which solve the problems.use CAM softwareuse CAM softwareUse computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.provide legal information on medical devicesprovide legal information on medical devicesProvide the healthcare staff with information about the clinical tests undertaken on a specific medical device, the legal documentation concerning its marketability and sales activity and provide any ...manipulate medical devices materialsmanipulate medical devices materialsManipulate materials used in the manufacturing of medical devices such as metal alloys, stainless steel, composites or polymer glass.estimate restoration costsestimate restoration costsEstimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.assemble machinesassemble machinesPut together devices, and components according to drawings. Program and install the components where needed.integrate new products in manufacturingintegrate new products in manufacturingAssist with the integration of new systems, products, methods, and components in the production line. Ensure that production workers are properly trained and follow the new requirements.advise on medical device featuresadvise on medical device featuresProvide information on how the medical device is functioning, what are its features, advantages and usability terms.write technical reportswrite technical reportsCompose technical customer reports understandable for people without technical background.use precision toolsuse precision toolsUse electronic, mechanical, electric, or optical precision tools, such as drilling machines, grinders, gear cutters and milling machines to boost accuracy while machining products.provide customer information related to repairsprovide customer information related to repairsInform customers about necessary repairs or replacements, discuss products, services and costs, include accurate technical information.prepare compliance documentsprepare compliance documentsPrepare documents with legal value which prove that an installation or a facility is conform to the regulations.apply technical communication skillsapply technical communication skillsExplain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.keep records of work progresskeep records of work progressMaintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.write inspection reportswrite inspection reportsWrite the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection's processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.finish medical devicesfinish medical devicesComplete the manufacture of medical devices such as prostheses by sanding, smoothing, applying paint or lacquer layers, stuffing and covering some parts with leather or textile.program firmwareprogram firmwareProgram permanent software with a read-only memory (ROM) on a hardware device, such as an integrated circuit.operate precision machineryoperate precision machineryOperate machinery used for the making of small systems or components with a high level of precision.operate soldering equipmentoperate soldering equipmentUse soldering equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, such as a soldering gun, soldering torch, gas-powered iron, and others.write records for repairswrite records for repairsWrite records of the repairs and maintenance interventions undertaken, of parts and materials used, and other repair facts.