Refurbished, used, second-hand, pre-owned… not the best options for underpants; but more and more, a smart choice for medical imaging equipment. However, in many cases, hospitals and imaging centers get too hung up on the word "used" when sometimes it’s more about how the word "used" is used and what it really means. Let’s quickly scan through some common keywords and how they relate and don’t relate to MRI systems on the secondary market. 

Is MRI Refurbishment Necessary?

Without minimizing the complexity of an MRI installation project (and they ARE complex), let me say that MRIs just don’t take the pounding that other equipment does. With the exception of the table perhaps, there just aren’t a lot of moving parts so, while “light use” sounds good in marketing material, it really shouldn’t make much of a difference to a potential buyer, nor should ‘round-the-clock patient scans be a cause for concern. While the word “Refurbishment” definitely sounds better than (pick-your-alternative-word-from-the-first-sentence), the fact that the gantry doesn’t spin, it doesn’t have a tube that will wear out, and it doesn’t go clonking around from room to room often makes refurbishment un-necessary for MRI or, at the very least, an added cost that should be looked at very carefully.

Partial Refurbishment

Sometimes partial refurbishment is a better option. After an MRI machine is proven to be functional within OEM specifications a buyer may still want to look into some lighter, more “cosmetic” refurbishment (MRI coils, covers, table pads, etc.) if necessary. Generally though, the restorative work needed on a used MRI is nothing like the extensive work that’s put into a CT refurb, for instance. 

Mind Your Coldhead

One area where refurbishment IS often necessary on an MRI Scanner is the coldhead. Expect this to last up to a couple years (sometimes longer, sometimes shorter). The age of the coldhead is something to note during an inspection as an end of life unit will result in some up-front costs. Shield temps that are outside the norm help to determine this. However, a coldhead that’s even two years old might not ALWAYS be in need of immediate replacement.  We have seen several instances of much longer life than that if the absorber (that filters out oil and contaminents) is changed out regularly.  Keep this fresh and everything runs better – kind of like the oil filter in your car.

Considering a C-Arm lease? Learning more about great C-Arm lease prices and finance solutions could be just what you need to help you in the decision process.

If you’re a regular reader of our blog you know by now that we’re more than just an imaging equipment, parts and service provider; we’re passionate about extending a second chance at life for people around the world. And as part of that mission, we really care about recognizing and thanking people in our industry for the role that they play in making a difference in people’s lives, whether they realize it or not.

Okay, so some people like their privacy…nothing wrong with that. There is some personal information that we like to keep to ourselves or at least have a choice in whether or not to share with someone else. The information stored on used imaging equipment could be anything from our birth date, our social security number, or maybe even an x-ray image with our name and a picture of one of our limbs broken in two. Who knows? HIPPA IT compliance is of the utmost importance when selling your used imaging equipment.

Whoa! Did you just see that title? The big beefy OEMs are calling out the nimble scrapper ISOs. This could be quite the tussle. Ali vs. Liston! Coke vs. Pepsi! Jersey Shore vs. rational humanity! Buckle up for this one.

This question about OEC 9600 C-Arm steering is EXTREMELY common, so common in fact, that I took the liberty of writing a song about all the different types of people that ask it. The first couple of verses, submitted for your approval:

Usually the Quality Assurance Manager doesn’t get to attend shows like this. I’m not sure of exactly why, but I suspect it has something to do with overhead and not being in the sales department…blah blah blah. 

December 31^st, 2011, 11:59:50 PM. The glittering ball in Times Square casts a thousand rays of pure white light onto a thousand hopeful faces as it begins its descent.

Leave Your Black Dress in the Closet!... “End of Life.” Sounds morbid, doesn’t it? But before you flood your mind with images of long black cars and gothic letters chiseled in granite, let me reassure you that we’ll only be discussing the words as they pertain to your medical imaging equipment.

I’ve met many GPO equipment planners, purchasing directors and various other employees connected to Group Purchasing Organizations. All are looking to accomplish the same thing: to provide quality products for their constituents and earn a living for themselves and their companies. To these ends they’ve been effective over the years. The GPO strategy makes sense for many different products that medical facilities acquire and consume on a daily basis. The challenge presented is with regard to high-dollar, infrequently purchased items like imaging equipment such as CT scanners, MRI, and Digital X-ray.

What Is the Maximum Weight Capacity for My CT Scanner Table? We get this question, or some form of it, nearly every day from doctors, technologists and administrators alike. The short answer is, “It depends on the model.”

Hmmm… Let’s see… Insert some humorous/endearing analogy about heat and pressure making diamonds here. Follow with the assertion that the current medical imaging market is one such gem refined by the pressures of a struggling economy… Yeah, that sounds pretty good. Are there still bagels in the break room?

“What does he have that I don’t?” Those of us who were wallflowers in high school have vivid memories of a time when we asked ourselves that. We quickly realized that the other guy had muscles, athletic ability, brand new acid-wash Jordache jeans, and a Trans-Am. But we had brains, a sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and good taste in movies. Those things are way more important than that other stuff, right?

Ty Cobb is, arguably, the best baseball player who ever lived. In his 24 years of professional baseball, Cobb set dozens of records for batting, number of games played, and number of bases stolen.

The medical equipment industry is its own world, with its own language. Unfortunately, that language is one that is constantly evolving, number by number and letter by letter as the OEMs crank out a never-ending stream of “new and improved” parts and systems.

Let’s be honest; we’ve all been in a scenario where an acronym has been used in conversation and we've felt like the odd one out because we didn’t really know what it meant. Starting to reminisce on some painful middle school memories?

Last week I received a call from an imaging center in California asking me if we had a particular medical equipment part in stock.  During the conversation, the caller asked me what the difference was between our 3rd party provided medical imaging parts and the new parts from the manufacturer. “That’s a great question!” I told him. 

During a party I attended last year, I was fortunate enough to eat some fantastic BBQ. This is not surprising, given my proximity to the Mason-Dixon Line but; on top of that good fortune I also met a very knowledgeable pharmaceutical rep whom we’ll call “Don”. We started talking about what we do and, of course, he had questions for me and I for him.