Your Guide to Medical Imaging Equipment

If you use fluoroscopy equipment like a C-arm, an R/F room, or an analog cath/angio lab you've got an image intensifier (II) that will one day need to be replaced. Most IIs have years of useful life in them, but it is not at all uncommon for a fluoroscopy system to go through at least a few IIs over the course of its life.

Because of the eventual failure of image intensifiers, we polled our service engineering team to find a few ways users can prolong the life of their II as well as some ways they'll be able to tell that an II failure is on the way. Keep reading to learn how you can help keep your II around longer as well as how you can know when to plan for a replacement.

From an imaging chain standpoint, the Orthoscan MDI and the Orthoscan FD mini C-arms have a lot in common: kV range, mA range, detector resolution, pixel spacing. They also have a fair amount of overlap in terms of applications: podiatry, orthopedics, sports medicine. In spite of all this common ground, however, there are some big differences between these two systems that are worth noting if you're considering an Orthoscan for your next mini C-arm acquisition. Below, we'll compare the Orthoscan MDI and the Orthoscan FD side-by-side to demonstrate their separate strengths.

For the last several years, people have been looking for ways to continue using and even improve upon the ever-popular OEC 9800. We’ve blogged about 9800 monitor upgrades before, but the technology continues to evolve. If you've been considering upgrades to your OEC 9800 display, keep reading to learn more about what's out there now, what you can expect on the horizon, and how to choose the best option for you.

The OEC 9800 is, without a doubt, the most popular C-arm of all time. It's a workhorse, parts and service are easy to find, and doctors and techs everywhere have a great deal of familiarity with using it. However, C-arm technology has changed quite a bit since the 9800's inception, leaving some users wishing they could keep what they love about their 9800 while taking advantage of some the advancements of the last few years- namely flat panel detectors.

For those users wishing their OEC 9800 had a flat panel digital detector, it looks like your moment has arrived! Upgrades for the 9800 are fresh out of FDA 510 k approval and we have the scoop on everything you need to know about them. Keep reading to find out the pros, cons, and costs of upgrading your OEC 9800 with a flat panel detector.