Sensible Solutions for Refurbished Radiology

There is a rising demand for interventional radiology procedures—and for good reason.  There’s a rise in minimally invasive procedures.  For example, we’re seeing a shift from open aortic surgery to minimally invasive procedures.  Plus, we’re also seeing an increase in endovascular cancer care.  Right now, image intensifiers are the mainstream technology, but the clock is definitely ticking.  It’s believed that flat panel detectors will soon become the standard for mobile C-Arms.

As we head into the final months of 2016, we thought it would be a good time to showcase each C-Arm manufacture and discuss our opinions on their C-Arms and where they are headed as a company.

Even when you work in the world of radiology it can be difficult at times to understand the differences between various models of imaging equipment. And when your job is buying, selling or requesting service or maintenance for an MRI, CT, Digital X-ray, C-Arm or PET/CT – those small differences become very important.

It’s October, which means it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month—and there’s no better time for a discussion about how to choose your next digital mammography system.  The good news is, you don’t have to buy a new one—there is a wide range of pre-owned and refurbished digital mammography equipment on the market that can serve your clinic, hospital or practice.

As healthcare and diagnostics improve for human patients, so it does for members of the animal kingdom.  And perhaps one of the most important tools to improve treatment for dogs, cats, horses and other mammals are C-Arms. Before you think your practice can’t afford one, think again.  There are plenty of used and refurbished C-Arms on the market that can make a Mobile C-Arm a reality for your practice. Even if you have limited space, in all likelihood there’s a C-Arm that will work for you.

Once a niche hobby for tech savvy makers, 3D printing has become big business. Today, additive manufacturing, the technical term for 3D printing, is being used around the world in almost every sector of business. While its uses vary in size and scope, it seems as if almost anything can be created. Enterprising professionals from different fields are using 3D printers to create everything from one-of-a-kind prototypes to hard to find parts, food, and even living tissue.

Its a digital (detector) world! In a few years the word analog will be ancient history. We are beginning to see digital detectors on just about every imaging system from Mammography to C-Arms to X-Ray. But it is with X-Ray where the Federal Government is starting to make the strongest push for change. With the passing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016  the reimbursement rates for Analog X-Ray systems will start to decline starting in 2017. Which begs the question, what are YOU going to do? 

Finally, there’s a CT Scanner that performs scans on pediatric patients without the need for sedation!  What a relief for parents, children, physicians and technicians, alike.  Siemens has launched the new SOMATOM Dual Source CT Scanner and it’s been approved by the FDA. 

Are changes coming that will affect the sale and service of medical equipment and medical imaging equipment like MRI and CT scanners? Unfortunately there is no clear answer right now. What is known is that this October the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a public workshop focused on the ““Refurbishing, Reconditioning, Rebuilding, Remarketing, Remanufacturing, and Servicing of Medical Devices Performed by Third-Party Entities and Original Equipment Manufacturers.”

Do you want to hear a sad story we have heard way too many times?