Sensible Solutions for Refurbished Radiology

So you think you’re ready to buy medical imaging equipment.  And maybe you are.  But the reality is, many physicians, practitioners, clinic managers and medical administrators may THINK they’re ready to buy, but oftentimes, they haven’t even done the basic homework that will help them determine if they’re actually ready to buy. As you well know, medical imaging equipment is far from inexpensive, so let’s talk about the easiest way to determine 1) If you really need the equipment and 2) if you can really afford it. 

The income potential that an MRI offers can be seductive.  But before you place an order for a new or refurbished MRI system, there are quite a few things to consider.  Here’s a handy checklist that can guide you through what can be a complicated process.

“I want a quote for an MRI.  I know I need a 24 ft. X 30 ft. space for one, and I’ve got it.  When can you deliver?” 

A team of radiologists at Stony Brook University in New York wanted to find the most simple and cost-effective way to monitor CT dose given what technology is available today. In doing so, they ended up developing a web-based service that does everything other solutions on the market do, just in a simpler fashion. They wrote about what they found, and what they have developed, in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Case Study: Role of image-based iterative reconstruction technique for low radiation dose chest CT examination

Sarvenaz Pourjabbar, MD; Ranish Deedar Ali Khawaja, MD; Sarabjeet Singh,MD;  Atul Padole, MD; Diego Lira, MD; Mannudeep Kalra, MD

Yes. times are tough. Reimbursement is down and radiology equipment is expensive. There’s no time like the present to begin strategic planning to deal with this new reality.

The answer depends on your situation. Leasing medical imaging equipment can be a good option for business owners who have limited capital or need equipment that must be upgraded every few years, while purchasing equipment can be a better option for established businesses or for equipment that has a long usable life.

NIBIB's 60 Seconds of Science explains what is happening in the body when it undergoes an MRI.

MRIs employ powerful magnets which produce a strong magnetic field that forces protons in the body to align with that field. When a radiofrequency current is then pulsed through the patient, the protons are stimulated, and spin out of equilibrium, straining against the pull of the magnetic field. When the radiofrequency field is turned off, the MRI sensors are able to detect the energy released as the protons realign with the magnetic field. The time it takes for the protons to realign with the magnetic field, as well as the amount of energy released, changes depending on the environment and the chemical nature of the molecules. Physicians are able to tell the difference between various types of tissues based on these magnetic properties.

We realize that there are many options when purchasing a C-Arm, so we decided to compile a list of 13 informative articles to assist you!  

SafeCT has been clinically validated at leading medical centers such as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH, Boston, MA) and Rambam Medical Center (Haifa, Israel). Clinical results have been presented in professional conferences, such as RSNA and ASNR. US FDA clearance and European CE approval were received in 2011. As of May 2013, over 100,000 low-dose CT studies were processed by SafeCT.