Simplifying Big Decisions About Refurbished C-Arms

If you’re considering buying a refurbished C-Arm, chances are this is not the first place you looked. You went elsewhere and had your head jammed with questions, specifications, and OEM sales lingo and now your skull is about to burst. Sound familiar? Well, we have good news and bad news for you. The bad news: we’re a little hurt that you didn’t come to us first. The good news: we forgive you, and we want to help you boil this task down to three criteria. So breathe deeply and read on!

At the heart of every CT scanner is its x-ray tube. More so than any other component, keeping careful tabs on the functioning of the CT tube can mitigate the cost of owning and operating a CT system. Unfortunately, CT owners often start thinking about the remaining lifespan of their x-ray tube only after the system has been installed and in use for several years. This can mean that some damage has already been done.

Photo courtesy of 
UC Davis College of Engineering

At Block Imaging Parts & Service we come into contact every day with hospitals that have their own staff of biomedical engineers (known affectionately in the biz as “biomeds”). And, sometimes, when the subject comes up of partnering with us for imaging equipment service contracts the answer is, “No thanks. My biomed staff can take care of that.” And why not? We agree that biomeds are a great help when something goes wrong or a system is due for a PM.

Are you skeptical when someone in the used imaging equipment business uses the word inventory?  To some, inventory is simply a compilation of available offerings and for others it is physically “in stock” and paid for by the company offering it. While this can be seen as semantics… What does it mean to actually own something anyways?  Do we really “own” the car we drive or the house we live in?… I digress. We’ll save that one for another day. Back to the topic…

It is always exciting when you get to make a fresh start don’t you think? I'm sure by now, you've already made your personal New Year's resolutions for 2012, right? As I googled top 5 New Year’s resolutions; exercise and diet were always in the number 1 or 2 spot on the list, followed by get out of debt or save more money.  Is this surprising to you? I agree… it isn’t surprising to me either. Most people want to take care of themselves, live a long healthy life and save money while doing it. I know I do!

Here are 7 Easy Steps to Remove Dust from a Hologic Fluoroscan Mini-C Camera to Improve Your C-Arm Image Quality...

There’s a simple, but annoying truth that every Hologic Mini-C owner knows all too well: the world is full of dust, and at some point, it will get into your C-Arm’s CCD camera. The scenario is one we at Block Imaging hear all too often: Things were going swell. The C-Arm was taking images problem-free, but suddenly, the crisp, clear anatomical images you once enjoyed are being orbited by an annoying galaxy of particles and fibers.

The question, “Which C-Arm Image Intensifier size is best for my facility?” comes up a lot. If you are shopping for a C-Arm machine and don’t know which size Image Intensifier (II) you really want or need, below is a quick walk-through of the differences to help you make that important decision...

Types of Studies

This is the single most determining factor. 12” II’s are primarily used for vascular studies. The three extra inches of diameter allow you to see more anatomy and can enable you to do studies like run-offs which you couldn’t do in a single run with a 9” unit. In fact, you rarely see a 12” II system that doesn’t have some kind of vascular capabilities on the used market.

I have been wrong before (see earlier post about the rubidium shortage where I expected everything to clear up by August 2011). But as I like to say, “I always think I’m right, however, I don’t think I’m always right.”

“You can’t always get what you want...” sang the Rolling Stones (quick… what year/what album?) and although they probably weren’t talking about used MRI scanners, it certainly holds true in this industry.  At this time, there is no shortage of high-quality, late-model pre-owned imaging equipment available throughout the world.  If you do some proper due-diligence you can save a lot of money, and in many cases a lot of time by capitalizing on these opportunities.  But you can also WASTE a lot of time trying to find systems that are either not plentiful on the market yet, or in such demand that they move instantly and at inflated prices. 

The last decade has proven to be challenging for traditional film mammography.  With the creation of digital mammography in 2000, billions have been spent by healthcare organizations on the conversion to digital.  Although the question has been raised, "Is digital truly superior to film?" Some say, yes, others say, perhaps not. Read on to learn more...

If you’re considering a GE Bone Densitometer it can be difficult to discern which Lunar model will be the best fit for your practice.  Understanding what features are common to the GE Lunar brand and which features are unique to the DPX and Prodigy Models is a great place to start.  For the sake of simplicity let’s look at three common models - Prodigy Primo, DPX Bravo and DPX Duo. 

The Middle East market is a key region for Block Imaging and the opportunity to strengthen relationships with our customers there is why we are committed (and excited) to exhibit at Arab Health each year.