Your Guide to Medical Imaging Equipment

Not long ago most types of imaging equipment were reserved for humans. If a scan was to be performed on a family pet, an X-ray was about as far as most veterinarians would go. Now, with an increasing number of animal owners willing to spend whatever it takes to get their pets the best care, more and more vet facilities have integrated full-on radiology departments into their practice.

We recently partnered with a vet center on a cath lab installation, which turned out to be just one in a full stable of systems running in their facility. Ultrasound, X-ray, C-arm, CT, MRI, nuclear camera, and even a linear accelerator, are all installed and scanning patients on a regular basis.

With interest like this on the rise, "What's the best cath lab for veterinary use?" has become a regular question for our team. In the next few paragraphs, we'll share our take on the question and give you a few considerations to keep in mind as you shop for your veterinary cath lab system.

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.

There is no doubt that DEXA bone densitometry has a significant impact on the diagnosis of osteoporosis and the management of osteoporosis care. Still, a challenge remains in finding ways to balance the clinical and economic utility of the modality as reimbursements continue to hover in the basement.

For those looking to serve patients by adding or upgrading a current bone density system, leasing is an option that can help strike the aforementioned balance by spreading the capital cost of DEXA equipment across 36, 48, or even 60 months.  

The average monthly lease rates outlined in the chart below include refurbished GE and Hologic DEXA bone density systems. 

If you're considering a GE Precision 500D R/F room, you're looking at one of the most reliable workhorse systems in the entire imaging field. It's worth noting, however, that not all Precision 500D units are the same. In 2006, several years into the P500D production run, GE updated the system and their value increased significantly.

We'll share with you here how earlier P500D systems, known as "Odetta 500D" differ from later systems, known as "Aurora 500D", and what the difference means for R/F users.