Your Guide to Medical Imaging Equipment

There was a time when access to strong imaging technology in the US started at seven figures; $1M, $1.5M, and even $2M in up-front cost. Now, however, imaging facilities are able to purchase more technology with less up-front capital than ever. A veritable “Who’s Who” of imaging equipment upgrades across all modalities, from the medical field's most prominent manufacturers is available and, in many cases, with most of the logistics and warranty trimmings attached.

To help you in the search for your next piece of imaging equipment, we've broken down some of the top choices for all modalities into pricing tiers, starting at $500,000, to $250,000, to $100,000.

The medical imaging equipment marketplace is home to a variety of vendors that offer a range of products and services at several levels. In fact, the opportunity to find someone/something that fits your needs precisely is one of the market's strengths. But when it comes to a turnkey experience- complete and efficient support from project start to project finish- not all vendors are equipped to execute well.

The video below shows four problems imaging equipment buyers sometimes face when they enter the refurbished market and what you can look for in a vendor to avoid them.

The moment you begin your search for a CT scanner, the GE brand will be at the forefront- and with good reason. GE CTs consistently offer users quality, reliability, and value. If GE is in the running for your next scanner purchase, we want to help you know what to expect from a budgetary standpoint. To that end, find current average price ranges for GE CT scanner models that can be found on the secondary market below.

In recent years, helium has become more scarce and, therefore, expensive. Meanwhile, the race has been on among magnet manufacturers to dramatically reduce or even eliminate helium “burn” or “boil off” in an MRI. Fortunately, there have been a number of successes in that endeavor. But, just because the technology exists to bring helium consumption levels to all-time lows doesn't mean that most systems in the field today operate at that level. 

The following is a breakdown of typical helium loss rates among popular MRI models; some long-standing workhorses, others just beginning their years of service to patients in the field.