An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a painless process that records the heart's electrical activity.

Small metal electrodes are placed on the person's wrists, ankles and chest. The electrical signals travel from the electrodes through wires to the EKG machine, which transforms the signals into patterns or waves. Different waves represent different areas of your heart through which electrical currents flow. The electrical currents stimulate the heart muscles to contract and relax. The P wave represents the current in the upper chambers of the heart (atria); the QRS complex represents current in the lower heart chambers (ventricles); and the T wave represents the heart's brief "rest period" as it recharges electrically (repolarizes) between heartbeats. EKG waves are recorded on paper as they move through the EKG machine, showing the heart rate and heart rhythm. The appearance of the wave patterns can give important clues about damage to the heart muscle or irritation of the membrane around the heart (pericardium). In most cases, a basic EKG takes about 5 to 10 minutes. It can be done in a doctor's office, in a laboratory or in a hospital.

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/ekgecg/a/ECG.htm

An X-ray generator is a device used to generate X-rays. These devices are commonly used by radiographers to acquire an x-ray X-ray X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma... image of the inside of an object (as in medicine or non-destructive testing) but they are also used in sterilization Sterilization (microbiology) Sterilization is a term referring to any process that eliminates or kills all forms of life, including transmissible agents present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media... or fluorescence Fluorescence Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation of a different wavelength. In most cases, emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore lower energy, than the absorbed radiation... . http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/X-ray_machine

The applications of ultrasound machines are numerous and commonly used for obstetrics, echocardiography and biopsy just to name a few. Ultrasound Machines is a non-invasive way to provide valuable medical details compare to traditional tools and diagnosis techniques. In other word, it has greatly helped medicine become safer and more accurate. Here are some common functions of the process.

Ultrasound machines for obstetrics provide invaluable information about a womans pregnancy and her growing baby. The ultrasound scanning of uterus can view the babys current position, gender and condition. Such procedure can identify the conception date and ensure the fetus is in healthy development. The detailed scanning able to detect any abnormalities in the development of the fetus allowing doctor to make prompt decision for necessary treatment. Amniocentesis, a needle is inserted to take amniotic fluid for analysis cannot be done so easily without the help of ultrasound. Beside, it is effective tool for identifying general health of the baby, position of the placenta, ectopic pregnancy, potential miscarriage as well as early fetal death.

Ultrasound Scanning Aside from obstetric reasons, the thyroid gland, breasts bladder, spleen, and eyes for the presence of foreign objects can be detected through ultrasound machine. It is not uncommon tool to check the newborn babies in term of their brain, eye, internal organ such as the appendix and liver. The machine also used during fine needle biopsy procedures. It gives an actual moving image for guiding the needle to reach the specific spot correctly. Echocardiography is a specific type of ultrasound for heart checking. It can be used to detect congenital heart disease. This may includes complications in the large blood vessels, blood clots in the heart chambers, heart muscle damage or enlargement or cardiomyopathy and pericarditis or inflammation of the pericardium. Echocardiography comes in very handy to identify disorders of heart valves. The velocity of blood flow through the heart indirectly can be measured using Doppler echocardiography. Malfunctioning valves in the case of aortic stenosis and mitral insufficiency ca be detected as well.
The functions of ultrasound procedures are largely depend on the organ to be diagnosed as well as the condition of the patients. Such medical procedure is very simple and quicker than you think. It needs neither special requirements nor special preparations. However, the procedure is advisable to be carried out only by trained medical professional in radiology.

http://ultrasoundmachineguru.com/

An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a radiology technique that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce images of body structures. The MRI scanner is a tube surrounded by a giant circular magnet. The patient is placed on a moveable bed that is inserted into the magnet. The magnet creates a strong magnetic field that aligns the protons of hydrogen atoms, which are then exposed to a beam of radio waves. This spins the various protons of the body, and they produce a faint signal that is detected by the receiver portion of the MRI scanner. The receiver information is processed by a computer, and an image is produced. The image and resolution produced by MRI is quite detailed and can detect tiny changes of structures within the body. For some procedures, contrast agents, such as gadolinium, are used to increase the accuracy of the images.
http://www.medicinenet.com/mri_scan/article.htm

It's essentially an x-ray of your breast tissue, using small amounts of radiation (some experts say less than you'd have with a standard chest x-ray). Breastcancer.org explains two variations: Film screen mammography involves minimal radiation exposure. A skilled technologist positions and compresses the breast between two plates. Then a highly specialized camera takes two pictures of each breast from two directions. Mildly uncomfortable for most women, mammography can be painful for some. But compression of the breast is necessary to flatten and reduce the thickness of the breast. The X-ray beam should penetrate as few layers of overlapping tissues as possible. Digital mammography uses the same technique as film screen mammography, except that the image is recorded directly into a computer. The image can then be enlarged or highlighted. If there is a suspicious area, your doctors can use the computer to take a closer look. Right now, what doctors can see with digital mammography is not quite as clear as what they can see with film, and the technique is more expensive and not as widely available. I hope that helps (and if a mammogram has been recommended for you, PLEASE have one!). http://www.revolutionhealth.com/forums/cancer/breast-cancer/11916