R/F refurbishment is one of our specialties at Block Imaging. Our x-ray engineers have been doing this type of work for a long time and have become virtual wizards in the ways of the Advantx, the Legacy, the Easy Diagnost, and many other R/F models.

Something of grave concern to all of us come tax time is how much we need to pay Uncle Sam in federal income tax. Often, as our accounting personnel calculate these numbers, we enter the April dog days of pulled hair, chewed nails, and throbbing temples. 

An MRI magnet is an incredibly powerful thing. Here’s some perspective on that statement: The magnetic field of current MRI magnets ranges from 0.3-3.0 tesla. The magnetic field of the Earth (yes, the ENTIRE planet) is approximately 0.5 gauss. If you’re not up on your units of magnetic measurement, this means the magnetic fields of our MRIs are anywhere from 1,500 to 15,000 times stronger than that of the world on which they sit.

I know all you refurbished C-arm buyers are urbane and articulate people, so you’ll have to excuse my language butchery, but, if it ain’t broke; don’t fix it! I’m sure you’ve heard the line before in regards to everything from your car to your laptop. You’ve probably even used it yourself to defend your record player as your children roll their eyes and scroll through hundreds of digital albums on tiny 4-inch screens. Now it’s our turn to use it as we discuss the glassware in your refurbished OEC c-arm.

C-Arm Product Manager Chris Sharrock provides an overview of the features that set the OEC 9800 C-Arm apart from its predecessors. Watch the video below and learn more about:
 

• 1k x 1k imaging chain
• New-style steering
• Ethernet board
• And many more features, options, and capabilities

Given GE’s lead in the US CT scanner market, it’s not surprising that customers who come to us in search of a dual-slice CT often find offerings from GE on their plate. Specifically, most of these customers will, at some point, consider both the GE HiSpeed CT/e (known as the ProSpeed FII in Asian markets) and the GE HiSpeed NX/i.

Curious about the GE Innova 4100 cath/angio lab? Watch the videos below and see:

If you can’t find a PET/CT in a mobile unit that was built that way at the factory, don’t worry! There are still PET/CT options available that adapt well from fixed locations to mobile units. But before you begin shopping around on all the units we’re about to discuss, there are some things you should figure out in advance:

Inside every CT scanner gantry are dozens of specialized electronic components working very hard to emit and detect x-rays. All that hard work builds up an immense amount of heat; enough heat to be hazardous to the functions of the CT if it is not somehow dissipated. To keep CT scanners cool, there are two dissipation methods currently available on the secondary market: systems cooled by air and systems cooled by water.

In many hospitals it’s simply accepted that the service needs of imaging equipment will never be fully managed by in-house clinical engineers. The in-house engineer will work on lower-risk machines like c-arms, bone densitometers, and portable x-ray while the OEM “big guns” will take care of the CTs, MRIs, and PET scanners. This arrangement is common and it gets the job done, but we think it’s a mistake. Hospitals are investing in high-overhead expenses for their lowest return-on-investment equipment and it leaves an untapped talent pool inside their facilities.

Among the models in the Hologic Discovery bone densitometer series, the Discovery A clearly stands out as the most feature-inclusive. I could use a tired metaphor and say that the Discovery A is the “Cadillac” of the Hologic bone dense line, but I’d prefer something fresher, a comparison that discerning readers like yourselves haven’t already heard in reference to hundreds of other products. I’m going to need a few moments to think on that, so in the meantime, why don’t you go ahead and check out the range of capabilities the Discovery A supports.

Last Sunday morning, a team of 49 Block Imaging team members, family members, and friends (including this author) had the honor of participating with 700+ other runners, walkers, and donors in Sparrow Health System’s Women Working Wonders 8k/5k/0k race. The event raised funds to support equipment and resources aimed at improving the health of women in the Greater Lansing area. It was a beautiful day for a run and a great opportunity to achieve something good through some healthy competition.

This one goes out to all the CT scanner shoppers that still need a little coaching to find their tomographic soul mate. If you read last week’s Questions to Ask BEFORE You Buy a Used CT Scanner and haven’t pulled the trigger yet, we’ve got even more ways to winnow down the selection. Ask your doctors and imaging techs these questions too. If they’re still talking to you after all the questions you already asked, there’s a good chance you’ll be walking away with some additional guidance on your purchase.

If you're considering purchasing medical imaging equipment service, it's imperative that you know preparation is everything. When imaging facilities are under-prepared, stuff happens; bad stuff that is out of your service provider's hands and out of your service agreement's purview.

Recently, I visited a hospital in the mountains of Guatemala with my colleague Chris Sharrock.  We delivered and installed an AGFA CR 25 at the hospital, effectively taking them out of the age of film and chemicals. Seeing the patients come through while we were working on the system (no HIPAA) and how the CR would immediately make a difference in the care and treatment in the lives of people was rewarding – both personally and professionally.

So We Made These AGFA CR System "How To" Videos

Since none of the technicians there had ever seen a CR system, we made these videos to help them through the process of using, and if necessary, troubleshooting the system.  So this is truly “in the field.”

Hey there CT scanner shoppers! Have you ever heard the famous song lyrics, “My mama told me, ‘You’d better shop around’”? That’s good advice, but what if you walked into the nearest mall with no clue what you were intending to buy? You could end up walking in circles long enough to triple the stock on Dr. Scholl’s bunion pads.