People refer to interventional equipment inspections frequently in our industry but seldom identify what a thorough inspection looks like. To pull back the curtain on the process, we’ve compiled the major steps our engineering team takes when they conduct an inspection of a cath lab. There are quite a number of other steps in our 4-5 hour process as well but, in the essence of time, we’ll be focusing on the larger elements.

Have you ever sat in a meeting or convention and felt like you were listening in on a texting conversation between two 14 year-old girls?  Sure, every field has their acronyms and shortened verbiage, but is it really more efficient if you have to run back to your office after the meeting to Google what HICCUP stands for and why there’s not two O’s in SMOG when it clearly stands for the School of Mathmagitional Occupologication Orbits and Geographonomy? 

We’re here to help.  No more nodding along at who, when, and where that convention is or wondering when subtraction could be “digital”!  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be breaking down common acronyms and phrases within the imaging segment.  

As always, if you know of a toughie that stumped you for your first 15 years in imaging, please let us know and we’ll include it so others can learn and be able to throw their hands in the air like front-row kindergartners any time it gets brought up. 

It can be a constant struggle for clinical engineering departments to get resources committed to help them take on equipment risk successfully. Often, this struggle is rooted in a lack of understanding that in-house clinical engineering can be both highly effective and more financially sound than traditional OEM or outside party engineering services.

We tend to throw the word “best” around rather lightly; the best pizza in town, the best movie ever, the best car. Unfortunately, these proclamations of what’s “best” are often based on incomplete data or contrived first impressions.   So without further ado, we present to you an unbiased, facts-only perspective on the best 3D c-arm.

When Block Imaging serves a customer on a c-arm purchase, we recommend that they also purchase a parts and labor service plan to protect their equipment. When we make this recommendation, we’re frequently asked why.

Since writing a version of this article originally in October 2011, I am still asked on a weekly basis, "How much does a PET/CT cost?" So it’s time for an update! The answer still depends on a number of things, but the single most determinative factor is the number of slices the CT has. 

Two weeks ago we discussed the testing necessary to prepare a site for MRI scanner shielding installation. One of the tests mentioned was the RF interference test. After you get the results from this test, your shielding vendor will have a recommendation for what level of RF shielding your site will need to prevent interference in your MRI images.

 Watch the video below to hear Women's Health Product Manager, Jason Block discuss some of the features that set the GE Senographe Essential apart from earlier GE digital mammography units.

The Axiom Artis is one of the latest product lines from Siemens in the interventional radiology category. One of the first things you’ll notice as you begin to look for information on the Axiom Artis is just how many flavors it comes in: floor- mounted vs. ceiling-mounted vs. a combination of both, image intensifiers vs. detectors.  On top of that, there are numerous software configurations which will determine the kinds of studies each system is equipped to accommodate.

In a recent article we discussed ordering a new SRAM card to fix three common boot-up problems for the OEC 9600 c-arm. As a follow-up, we want to make sure you know what to do next after that shiny new card arrives at your facility.

So, you installed an MRI system a few years back with the right set of coils, and you started scanning patients like crazy. Soon after, you couldn’t picture life without it. You’ve drawn stares while crooning soft songs into its bore. You’ve been spotted reading Goodnight Moon out loud in the exam room after hours. A tattoo of a gantry with a heart around it can be found on your bicep.

To kick-off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we'd like to share this story from a team member. It's our hope that increased awareness of breast cancer prevention will lead to more positive experiences for women pursuing healthy lives.