Almost daily, someone asks us: "Do I need to put lead-lined walls around my imaging system?"

We're asked about rad rooms, mammography, C-arms- any modality that produces X-rays. The answer isn't as clear as most of us would prefer and depends heavily on three main factors. We'll share those factors below as well as a helpful tool to help you learn more.

Purchasing is not the only option to get the C-arm or X-ray equipment you need into your facility. But once you find alternatives like renting or subscribing, you may also find they look a lot alike. So, how do you decide which is the best fit for your needs?

To shed some light on the decision, we break down the differences between C-arm and X-ray rental and subscription plans below.

Once you've decided that renting an X-ray system is a good fit for your facility, your next questions are probably about the process of getting that system into your facility, set up, and ready to scan patients.

To help you get answers to those questions, we've put together a quick overview of what to expect from the X-ray rental process. Please note, the process below is the one we use at Block Imaging. Things might not look exactly the same from other providers, but most of what you read here should be applicable to the experience you'll have with any reputable company offering imaging rentals.

We emphasize preventive maintenance (PM) a lot here at Block Imaging. We type about it in emails. We talk about it on the phone. We blog about it online. This emphasis is because we firmly believe that regular preventive maintenance for X-ray machines, and all other kinds of medical imaging equipment, is essential to safety, image quality, and minimizing downtime. 

We would love to be the company you choose to provide preventive maintenance for your X-ray system, but even if we're not, we're going to share with you what an effective PM looks like, in three stages.

Need Preventive Maintenance Now? We can help. No Contract Required!

You’ve bought an expensive, top of the line wireless DR panel (digital radiography). It’s only been out of the box for two days when your lead tech, who is used to working with inexpensive CR plates, drops it. Do you have DR panel drop coverage?

Okay, so the paragraph above is scary, right? Almost scary enough to second-guess an upgrade or certainly purchase insurance coverage. Costly object X is entered into catastrophic situation Y and a hypothetical lack of coverage leads to budget-crushing dollar amount Z in damages. The story may be hackneyed but, at its core, it relays the reason why any of us buy coverage for anything: in case of XYZ.

If you're on the road to DR panel ownership, drop coverage should at least be part of the conversation with your provider. Keep reading and we'll share more details you can use as you approach the subject of DR panel drop coverage.

Want even more protection for your DR panel? Click here to learn about protective DR panel carrying cases.