Medical Imaging Equipment Guide

Kenn Dextrom

Cath Lab Equipment Planning... Takes Longer Than You Think

Aug 17, 2018 10:55:00 AM

“It doesn’t take that long to install cath lab equipment, right?” My answer to this question would be that it probably takes longer than you think. Of all the modalities that Block Imaging works with, interventional lab installations are the most involved.

Between research, planning, construction, hardware, mechanics, and software/networking- the entire process of bringing a cath lab into a facility averages between six and twelve months, start to finish!

As you begin your interventional lab planning process, here are some very important things to consider.

Topics: Imaging Equipment Solutions, Cath/Angio, Imaging Equipment Project Management

Bi-Plane Cath Labs vs Single-Plane Cath Labs

Posted by Kenn Dextrom

Aug 8, 2018 9:06:00 AM

For those entering the cath lab market for the first time, there are scads of options on the table as you begin doing your homework and narrowing down the field. One of the major options you'll run across is whether you want a single or bi-plane cath lab system. To help you make that determination, we've compiled a short list of things you should know first.

Single and bi-plane cath labs differ from one another in several main ways:

Image Acquisition Speed
Specialization
Space Requirements
Site Preparation
Cost

Topics: Buying Imaging Equipment, Cath/Angio

Using GE Innova 2100 in Peripheral Studies

Posted by Kenn Dextrom

Jul 19, 2018 8:45:00 AM

For years, the conventional wisdom in the interventional radiology space was that it was most advantageous for peripheral studies to be conducted on cath labs with larger detectors. Even here, on the Block Imaging blog page, we've discussed matching detector sizes with applications and recommended using 40 cm detectors like those on the Innova 4100 for peripheral. More and more, however, we're hearing from some users that they prefer using the 20 cm detectors on their Innova 2100s for this work.

In response to this trend, we'd like to share with you why some cath lab users are using their small detector systems, like the Innova 2100, for peripheral studies.

Topics: Cath/Angio

What Can the GE MacLab Monitor?

Posted by Kenn Dextrom

Jun 15, 2018 1:00:00 PM

We get lots of questions about hemodynamic monitoring units, and none more often than the GE MacLab. The MacLab is the most widely used hemo system in the world, and for good reason: it's easy to use, and it measures an awful lot of vital parameters. In fact, the MacLab's range of capabilities is the subject of a good share of the questions asked of our team. Because of this, we've decided to lay it out for you here.

Topics: Cath/Angio

Philips Cath Lab Detector Size Comparison

Posted by Kenn Dextrom

May 22, 2018 12:51:15 PM

If you're in the market for a cath lab, you know that detectors can make or break a system. Field of view and flexibility are important factors to consider when making your final choice. You may also know about GE's three-prong approach to providing physicians cath detector options that fit their varying specialties. When it comes to providing these same options, Philips has taken a different approach with their Allura XPER FD10 and Allura XPER FD20 cath lab detectors.

In the short video below, we'll break down for you the intended uses and unique aspects of Philips Allura XPER detectors.