The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) is an organization for advancing the development, and safe and effective use of

medical technology Health technology is defined by the World Health Organization as the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of liv ...

founded in 1965 by Robert D. Hall Jr. and Robert J. Allen, President and Vice President respectively of Tech/Reps, Inc. (a medical Instrumentation marketing firm in Needham, Massachusetts). AAMI was created by the Tech/Reps' team as both a vehicle to help their clients introduce innovative medical devices into common medical practice and to set safety standards in both their design and usage. Dr. John Merrill of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and John Abele, Sales Manager of Advanced Instruments, Inc. joined with Hall and Allen to establish AAMI. Among the first members were Doctors

Paul Dudley White Paul Dudley White (June 6, 1886 – October 31, 1973), was an American physician and cardiologist. He was considered one of the leading cardiologists of his day, and a prominent advocate of preventive medicine. Early life and education White w ...

Michael Debakey Michael Ellis DeBakey (September 7, 1908 – July 11, 2008) was a Lebanese-American general and cardiovascular surgeon, scientist and medical educator who became Chairman of the Department of Surgery, President, and Chancellor of Baylor College ...

, Adrian Kantrowitz, and the US Surgeon General. AAMI members now include decision makers in the medical technology profession—clinical engineers, biomedical equipment technicians, manufacturers, sterile processing professionals, researchers, quality assurance and regulatory affairs experts, and other healthcare technology management professionals. In 1966, AAMI was introduced to the public at large through MEDAC 66 (Medical Equipment Display and Conference) held in Boston at which Drs. Debakey and Kantrowitz introduced the world's first

artificial heart An artificial heart is a device that replaces the heart. Artificial hearts are typically used to bridge the time to heart transplantation, or to permanently replace the heart in the case that a heart transplant (from a deceased human or, exper ...

s and debated the merits of each. More than 7,000 individuals,

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergen ...

s, and medical device manufacturers are members of AAMI.

Focus

Committees of manufacturers, healthcare professionals, regulators, scientists, academics, and other interested parties research and develop new or revise existing recommended practices and standards that address the use, care, and processing of performance requirements to be met by medical devices and technology. AAMI is a

voluntary organization A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteering, volunteers, to form a body (or organ ...

, and although its recommended practices and standards sometimes echo other healthcare guidelines, compliance with these standards is not necessarily required by regulatory organizations that inspect healthcare facilities.

Events Held by AAMI

* AAMI Annual Conference & Expo * AAMI Standards Week * AAMI/FDA International Conference on Medical Device Standards and Regulation

References

External links

* {{Authority control Medical and health organizations based in Virginia