Your Guide to Medical Imaging Equipment

Recently, a facility whose C-arm project I was managing requested “additional training”. As the conversation continued, it became clear that they weren't certain of what kind of training they really wanted. This was not the first time I've had this conversation, and I doubt it will be the last. 

If you're reading this article, you are probably wondering about the training your team needs right now. Our suggestion: start by asking yourself and your team a few questions about your goals. The following are a few we've found helpful.

Only a few years ago, OEC 9900 C-arms were still relatively rare on the secondary market. As the model has matured, however, the availability of pre-owned 9900s has increased significantly. This increase has prompted a shift in cost that moves the 9900 into a pricing bracket that's accessible to a much wider range of facilities. If you've considered the OEC 9900 in the past and found it to be outside your budget constraints, you should know that the landscape has changed.

We consulted our resident C-arm expert, Chris Sharrock about what kind of savings buyers can expect to find when they come across OEC 9900s on the refurbished market. He replied with this:

Whether you have an existing office-based lab (OBL), or you are looking to start a new one, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make is which imaging equipment your physicians will use. There's a lot to consider, not the least of which is whether you'll be best served by a cath lab or by a C-arm.

To help you in making that decision, we compare the two modalities below to highlight their separate strengths and provide some insight on what kind(s) of work each is better suited for.

The OEC 9900 already offers a high degree of viewing flexibility for your operating room with its articulating monitor boom arm. If, however, you find yourself looking for even more ways to have your image where you want it- when you want it, there is a simple option to add more monitors to display both your real-time fluoroscopy image and your review images.

With just a few items (some of which you may already have) that are widely available from many electronics suppliers, you can get this done and improve your workspace at relatively minimal cost. Take a look at the simple steps listed below to learn how you can easily expand the display on your 9900 C-arm.