【正文】 onal capacity is still urgently needed. Relatively low updating indices are observed among the devices for intensive care and resuscitation: 16% of new items and paratively many obsolete devices (26%). Among new models apparatuses for artificial lung ventilation are worth mention. However, some apparatuses, which have been developed long ago are still on the market because they have good performance, are quite reliable, and still are in demand. This reduces the updating index of the group as a whole. AllRussian ScientificResearch Institute for Medical Instrument Engineering, Rusaian Academy of Medical Sciences (VNIIMPVITA JointStock Company), Moscow. Translated from Meditsinskaya Tekhnika, No. 1, pp. 49, JanuaryFebruary, 1996. Original article submitted August 23, 1995. 00063398/96/ y Plenum Publishing Corporation TABLE 1. Updating of Basic Groups of Medical Devices and Apparatuses (% of total nomenclature) The lowest updating indices are observed for devices for examining a patient39。s body are: ophthalmological, otolaryngological, and anthropometric devices, endoscopes, etc. Theshare of obsolete devices is high (44%), while the devices which have been produced for no more than 5 years account for only 20% of total production.It should be noted that these results on medical equipment updating are important general estimates, although they do not take into consideration specific achievements and shortings in the production of individual items. Therefore, some corresponding amendments are required. Our survey of available information, including the VNIIMPVITA JointStock Company data bank, materials presented at various exhibitions, and recent literature, shows that domestic medical industry has developed a number of original medical devices and apparatuses which were designed to replace similar obsolete models. However, many types of important and necessary medical devices still do not meet contemporary requirements, and some types of devices are not produced at all. For example, in recent years production of some sophisticated medical devices (apparatuses for intensive care, resuscitation, and anesthesiology。 devices for artificial lung ventilation, respiratory narcosis devices, extracorporeal circulation) significantly rose, particularly at the former defense industry facilities, and their quality has been significantly improved. The functional performance of the devices is generally on par with foreign analogs. Perfusion units have also been improved and their production has expanded. This allowed the demand of the health service organizations for such equipment to be satisfied pletely. Modern domestic hemodialysis devices (Renart10, Renan 10RT, etc.) have been developed and brought into wide clinical practice. The development and production of diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging systems (Obraz3, TOROS) are considerable breakthroughs in domestic medical industry. This substantially extends diagnostic capacities of many health service organizations and provides them with topical diagnosis previously unavailable domestically, although it is quite mon in developed foreign countries. Domestic medical industry has begun production of pulse oximeters。 these are of particular use in surgery and resuscita tion. This bridged a substantial gap in the spectrum of available domestic medical devices. The Bilitest bilirubin meter, which has been recently developed and produced in Russia, fully meets the requirements of maternity and children39。s hospitals in devices for diagnosing jaundice. A highstandard radioimmunochemical laboratory was opened at the VNIIMPVITA JointStock Company to supply customers with necessary radioimmunochemical assay kits. A number of highquality medical devices and instruments have been developed at the electronic industry plants and institutes. The following devices are particularly worthy of mention artificial cardiac valves of the Emitron Plant, which are on par with the best foreign analogs。 pH meters (Istok State ScientificManufacturing Association)。 Ikar longterm (up to 24 h) cardiomonitors with electronic memory (Kometa Central ScientificManufacturing Association)。 radiothermographs and racliothermoscopes for detecting deeply located thermal fields in the human body (Oktyabr39。 Manufacturing Association and Design Bureau for Ecological and Medical Equipment)。 original thermal imaging system (Institute of Radioelectronics and Automatics, Russian Academy of Sciences。 OPTROS, Ltd.)。 original puterassisted system Cardiac Rhythms for monitoring oatient condition and pulsimetry (Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences。 Ekos, Ltd.)。 video system for endoscopic imaging (Zenit ScientificManufacturing A~sociation。 Elektron ScientificResearch and Manufacturing Association)。 streamlined technology for producing disposable and reusable syringes, injection needles, and surgical threads. A number of other problems of domestic medical instrumentmaking industry have been successfully solved in recent years. For example, the number and quality of therapeutic devices, particularly for laser therapy, is quite sufficient. Research studies are carried out by many organizations including former defense industry facilities. Technologies which have been developed for other purposes give fruitful results in medical industry. According to our data, more than 150 models of such medical devices have been developed over the last 5 years. Some 100 of them are mercially available. Although domestic medical devices are often superior ot foreign analogs in terms of working performance and they are definitely less expensive, many of them are not in short demand and are virtually not used. However, this activity in many other areas of medical instrument engineering cannot be considered as sufficiently successful and rational. It should be noted that many newly developed models of domestic medical devices pare unfavorably with foreign analogs. This is particularly the case for Xray and ul