Your Guide to Medical Imaging Equipment

Block Imaging continues to expand in providing refurbished imaging equipment, parts, and service with the acquisition of Platinum X-Ray Solutions, an imaging field service organization serving the Houston, TX and Dallas, TX areas. This growth in field service manpower means even better response times and equipment uptime for Block Imaging clients in the region. It also brings expanded parts inventory and engineering capabilities to the existing Platinum customer base in Texas.

Block Imaging is pleased to announce an expansion in their partnership with Neusoft Medical Systems USA. In the coming months, Block and Neusoft will deliver and install the first of seven NeuViz CT scanners bound for  locations of Crucial Care, a growing acute stroke care provider based in Florida. The partnership combines Neusoft’s workhorse technology with Block Imaging’s responsive, US-based engineering and customer support team. As more Neusoft scanners begin scanning, Block will match the growth with additional field service engineers to support the increased demand expected through 2021 and beyond. Together, Block and Neusoft look forward to bringing Crucial Care and their patients unparalleled reliability, value, and customer experience.

After years of constant change- up and down deduction limits, shifting depreciation rates, retroactive measures taken in the following calendar year- 2020 finds the Section 179 tax deduction for capital equipment landing in a place of greater stability. If you have plans for a major equipment purchase in the near future, we'll explore what you can expect to save this year with Section 179.

If you are not yet familiar with The Critical Medical Infrastructure Right-to-Repair Act of 2020, “Right to Repair” for short, here’s some quick background. The bill was introduced on August 6^th by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Rep. Yvette Clark of New York in response to concerns that repairs and maintenance on medical equipment were being hampered by restrictive contracts and copyright laws during the COVID-19 crisis.

A statement from Senator Wyden’s website describes the bill’s specifics, saying that, for at least the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would:

• Protect equipment owners, lessees, and servicers from liability under federal copyright law for creating an incidental copy of service materials or for breaking a digital lock during the course of equipment repair in response to COVID-19;
• Allow equipment owners or lessees to fabricate patented parts on a non-commercial basis and as needed for repair or maintenance in response to COVID-19;
• Invalidate provisions in equipment contracts to the extent that they prohibit or restrict the repair or maintenance of critical medical infrastructure in response to COVID-19; 
• Require manufacturers to provide, on fair and reasonable terms, access to information and tools used to diagnose problems and service, maintain, or repair equipment; and
• Require the Federal Trade Commission to evaluate the bill’s impact and effectiveness on innovation and competition in the critical medical infrastructure market.

The bill has garnered praise and support from rural healthcare systems, independent engineering groups, and many civil interest groups but, unsurprisingly, has come under fire from OEMs and their partner lobbying groups.

The Block Imaging team invites you to join us in welcoming long-time healthcare entrepreneur and thought leader, Tom Spees as our new Vice President of Strategic Development. Many of you have worked with Tom personally over the years or with organizations he’s been a part of shaping. From AID, to Dunlee, Philips, to Richardson Electronics, you know the value he brings to any project. Beginning in August, Tom will work alongside Block's current leadership, using his years of experience in equipment sales, independent imaging service, and replacement parts sourcing to continue improving and expanding the way Block Imaging serves healthcare facilities around the world.