Everyday, medical technology advancements help save the lives of patients in Canada by improving the accuracy of diagnoses, enhancing treatments and cure of diseases, reducing long-term disabilities and helping to provide better medical care. Covering a wide range of products, medical device examples include pacemakers, artificial heart valves, hip implants, synthetic skin, scalpels, medical laboratory diagnostic instruments and test kits for diagnosis.  Software, either stand alone sold for the purposes given in the definition of a device (Patient Management Software) or used as a component to a device, is included in the term "medical device".

Medical Devices are defined in the Food and Drugs Act (the "Act") and the Medical Devices Regulations.

• Employs over 35,000 Canadians
• Close to 1,500 corporate facilities
• Almost $6 billion in national sales per annum
• Annual sales in Ontario are $3 billion, $2 billion in Quebec and $500 million in British Columbia
• Ahead of industry, MEDEC members in mid-size facilities are growing at a 7% growth rate in employment
• MEDEC small and medium sized facilities are leading growth
• Average number of R&D workers in MEDEC facilities is 17