Best Medical Imaging Equipment Repair Tip… EVER
Two kinds of people just read the title of this article, "Best Medical Imaging Equipment Repair Tip... EVER"
1. The Believer-
“Did the heavens just open? Someone is finally going to tell me the secret to keeping my CT scanner, X-ray, MRI, etc. running like a limber gazelle on the African savannah!”
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2. The Doubter-
“Yeah right! These carpetbaggers are just a bunch of bushwhacking snake-oil salesmen. Nobody this side of Fiddler’s Green has those kinds of answers!”
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Alright, so maybe there’s a third kind of person who falls somewhere in between these two extremes. Since most of you are probably in that category, we want you to know that the following is NOT a cure for every imaging problem you’ll ever have, but it sure can help. It can also keep you from calling in an expensive engineer to solve a problem you can fix yourself. Our experience is this: 25% of the time… it works every time.
POWER DOWN YOUR SYSTEM
That’s it. 25% percent of the service calls we receive are fixed without a site visit, without parts, and without tech support by doing this one thing. This tactic applies to any and all medical imaging modalities, from MRIs to C-Arms.
IMPORTANT: Power Down Properly
It’s important to note that “powering down” is not simply holding the power button on the operator’s console until the software computer does a hard shut down. Similar to unplugging a PC while it is on, this can damage proprietary software and exacerbate the problems that necessitated a power-down in the first place. Be sure to take your system through a complete power-down and reboot procedure.
Occasionally, shutting down the software/host computer isn’t enough. If there are gradient, generator, chiller, gantry, or any other problems unrelated to the host computer, a power cycle may be necessary: Shut down the system computers as you normally would, and check your equipment’s vendor-specific instructions on how to fully power-down your system.
Taking your equipment through a power down or power cycle can reset its normal functions, clear error messages, or eliminate redundant processes. Ultimately, it pays to remember that, like all you believers, doubters, and in-betweeners out there, your medical imaging systems sometimes need to take a little break.
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Meet the authors: Zach Seelye and Jordan Batterbee
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