Confused between CT scanner Slice? Which One Is Perfect For Your Clinical Practice?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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Many managers of medical centers and hospitals are always confused when they want to replace their CT scanner in order to stay in touch with the advances in medical fields. Before making the last decision, the most important thing to consider is the number of data slices you may need or think you may need. Keep in mind that this is not an easy decision to make because CT scanners are very expensive to buy and to operate. Another important tip is that a higher slice count decreases the scan time and at the same time produces a picture with higher resolution which can be used for some clinical studies. But, for many medical centers and hospitals, a lower slice count is completely sufficient. It is very important to consider the fact that this type comes with a lower price.

Here is a short explanation which would guide the hospital managers which CT scanner’s slice count and its most common uses:

  • 4-slice CT: Because of the good throughput and the reasonable speed of this type of CT scanner and allows it to do well in many environments. It is a perfect match for a veterinarian and for a low-volume imaging center. Manufacturers claim that it is a great option for urology practices and similar medical centers which use the CT scanner once or twice per week.
  • 16-slice CT: This type is the right spot for higher-use hospitals and medical facilities, where the patient’s flow is steady or this case here reduced scan time is a priority. If the manager of the medical center knows that the clinicians use the scan every day and have a lot of patients, this is probably the best solution for the hospital. It is also a great alternative in ER’s and urgent care centers and also for hospitals or high-volume imaging centers. The good news in this situation if you are purchasing a 16-slice CT scanner; you may find good prices on the market.
  • 32 to 40-slice CT: This type of CT scanner provides a longer coverage than a 16-slice scanner which means that it results in shorter examination times and the chances of motion artifacts are reduced.
  • 64-slice CT: It is good to know that these types of scanners are perfect for the world of cardiac and trauma or for a very high volume critical care centers. The speed and the sensitivity which are characteristic features of these scanners allows for “freeze-frame” imaging. This process minimizes the negative effects that muscle motion and heart have on picture quality. It is good to remember that the high speed of this CT scanner is very helpful in trauma sectors where the time is priceless.
  • 128-slice CT: This type is a common solution in cardiac and also in the research institutions. It is the latest generation in a row of CT scanners and it is revolutionizing a non-invasive diagnosis. It is good that the device is able to scan the whole body in many seconds and provide sharp 3D high-quality images of any organ in the body.

It is good to consider the fact that a wide bore scanner posses a bigger gantry aperture and maximum reconstruction field-of-view when it is compared with the conventional CT scanners. Manufacturers define the number of slices the scanners offer. These types of scanners are bought for radiotherapy planning because they allow flexibility for positioning the patient in the position which is needed at the moment. From another point of view, they may be considered also for other applications especially where the increased aperture and the field-of-view are very beneficial. This means that it will be perfect for imaging bariatric trauma and also for intensive care patients.

Summary
Computed Tomography is marking a rapid progress since its beginnings. The current clinical applications are beneficial not only for the hospitals but for the patients too. The CT scans are great medical devices which are an effective, fast, and accurate way of assisting the medical clinician to make a diagnosis and later treat the patient’s condition. Because the CT scanner has become an important investigative tool in medicine, it is good for hospitals to invest in this device. This way the diagnosis would be easy to make and the treatment would be more exact.

It is good for managers to remember that they can always experience big cost savings when buying refurbished or used CT scanner for their medical practice, while still obtaining the warranty and service contracts the manager need and want. However, the managers know their budget and before purchasing they make an effective plan for how to spend their money. Buying a CT scanner for your practice is a big step and a conversation with a proper technical person would be a good thing.

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Refurbishment Can Save Your Medical Equipment Impacted by Natural Disaster

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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Hospitals play an important role in delivering medical care and, they offer support to the victims in the aftermath of the occurred disaster. Because of this reason, both, the managers of the hospitals and the medical staff are very sensitive to the types of operations and medical devices that are necessary to support this important and vital role. Even though the initial point is the treatment and the careful arrangement of the patient, perhaps, a crucial aspect in the creation of the medical center complex for disaster response is the vulnerabilities of its mechanical and structural systems to disasters caused by nature such as extreme winds, earthquakes, or flooding.

What are the main consequences of the natural storm? When the risk given by natural hazards are not properly addressed all medical centers may become victims of the natural disaster. The impact of the disasters occurred in the past on medical organizations teach us about valuable lessons for the future hospital construction.

A refurbishment process is a great option for saving the medical imaging equipment

Refurbishment process is a great thing to save the medical imaging equipment which is affected by a natural disaster. It is also a great thing when it comes to improving the qualities and the features of your old machine. The new advancements and updates can be installed on the old medical device. The refurbishment is a perfect way to restore the function and option of your damaged machine. This way the managers of the hospitals will save money for repair any other damage caused by the natural disaster.

With the refurbishment process, the machine can get any part of it repaired and any function or operation restored. This means that all destroyed parts would be replaced and if needed, the new updates available for that device would be installed. If some new applications are available, they would be also installed on the medical imaging device. Another thing to consider is that the refurbishment process is a good way to protect the energy in the environment. Even though there has been a natural disaster, the refurbishment will give its positive effects on the environment. This way the old energy would be transformed and used in a better way.

The most important thing is to find the right person and manufacturer to perform the refurbishment process. They must provide some type of certificate and license in order that he can do the process. Later, the manager should look for a warranty for the upcoming refurbishment processes. The experienced and professional person will follow a five-step procedure to meet the requirements of the refurbishing procedure. At first, the professional refurbishment team would take into consideration the age, performance, and the service of the medical imaging equipment. At the same time, they will inspect what parts are damaged by the natural disaster. When they locate the damage, they will also see how to make things right. This means they will inspect to see if the software and the hardware of the machine could be repaired and later upgraded. They will investigate the possibility to check if the service parts will be available in the next five years. The next step is de-installing the medical device and shipping back to a factory in its original packaging.

All medical imaging equipment during the refurbishment process is cleaned, disinfected, and painted if necessary. All worn parts are replaced, and the device is reset to the new customer specifications. When the final check is passed, the refurbished machines receive a quality treatment.

Keep in mind that the refurbishment process is also a big investment but, however, it is far more acceptable than purchasing a new machine. The final decision about the refurbishment process is determined by the managers of the hospitals which are impacted by the disaster.

Conclusion

According to the all mentioned above, the main conclusion is that there are very important things to be learned from the natural disasters in the past. All medical centers managers must have a clear vision and a complete understanding of the types of natural disasters that can negatively affect their hospitals, specifically the probability of occurrence and the magnitude. Hence all these exposures are already known, they must find vulnerable areas of the hospital complex. When all the exposures and vulnerabilities are determined, the managers must establish a mitigation plan to minimize the potential risks. The plan should be cost-effective and at the same time acceptable solution for the facility. Several methods are available to reduce the risks caused by natural hazards. One of them is the refurbishment process of the medical imaging equipment. This way you can have your equipment back in the facility with repaired and improved options.

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Enhancing Accessibility of Breast Cancer Treatment in South Africa with Refurbished MRI Scanners

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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According to much medical information written, breast cancer is still the second leading cause of death in woman. It has been, found that one in four South Africans would be affected with at least one diagnosis of cancer in their lifetime.  It seems that breast cancer is the very common cause of death reason in women period. Be advised though that clinical observations recently have demonstrated that early detection has decreased mortality rates up to 50%. This means that breast cancer is detected early; the chances of survival are greater.  There are many different medical imaging devices which are utilized for the detection of breast cancer. The most common medical devices are x-ray or mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and other radionuclide techniques.

Magnetic resonance imaging

Contrary to CT or x-rays, these medical devices are not using ionizing radiation. They use a strong and powerful magnetic field for aligning the hydrogen nuclei orientation in the body. Throughout a coil which acts as a transmitter of radio-frequency, this device alters the nuclei alignment. The generated magnetic field is detected by the scanner of this medical device. When a breast image is needed, the development of a bilateral coil has facilitated simultaneous imaging of both breasts. The magnetic resonance imaging provides functional information more exactly and giving data about changes in vascular density associated with angiogenesis, and also it produces a #D morphology of the breast tissue.

Clinical data of magnetic resonance imaging has shown that it can give a diagnosis and is a diagnostic tool that is accurate, also a picture of the extent of the disease, and it also has the ability to diagnose cancers in the breast which is collateral and that are mammographically occult. The magnetic resonance imaging works quite well for all women who are facing a high risk of breast cancer due to hereditary factors and it is always recommended as an additional diagnostic action to mammography for these patients. It is good to know that an MRI has a specificity of 72% and a sensitivity of 90% but the manufacturers is working on improvement with the application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is a medical device and because of this, it is used as a diagnostic than a screening medical tool.

An MRI gives a photo from the inside of the breast simply by using magnetic fields. It is used after a mammography and ultrasound is done that have produced ambiguous results.  An MRI scan can be used before an intervention just to be sure that there are no other tumors and if tumors are found it can locate them.  The big advantage of this tool is that it is x-ray free and can produce a 3D image or allow for MRI supported biopsies.

How is it done?

When the patient has arrived the examination, process can start. The person has to lie very still and he would be moved into a tube which is surrounded by a magnet. According to several studies, most of the women don’t show negative experiences from this procedure but some of them may show anxiety or even fear. All women should know that during the procedure they can communicate with the medical team via camera or intercom.  To enhance the images, a contrast agent has to be injected into the patient’s veins during the examination which is free of radiation. This procedure takes around fifteen to thirty minutes. One important thing to consider is that it has to be performed during the second or third week of the woman menstrual cycle. Medical data shows that this is the best time to obtain the best MRI images.

In South Africa and in many other areas of the world refurbished MRI systems are needed and welcomed. Setting up a Mobile MRI Coach or Van to serve women would be a great humanitarian undertaking and with it would educate women about early breast cancer screening.  Refurbished MRI systems are affordable. Refurbished MRI systems are still in a good condition and they would be a perfect solution for the underserved population. The use and presence of the Mobile Coach or Trailer or Medical Van in all parts of the world would better enable every woman to have the chance to educate them as to early detection of breast cancer can save lives.

Summary

A magnetic resonance imaging service could not entirely change mammography procedure if we suspect of breast cancer manifestation.  For the best result, this process should be done as a complementary diagnosis measure.  The future of these medical devices is that a 3D proton MRI spectroscopy may save the patients from unnecessary and painful biopsies simply by providing metabolic information.  This makes the process easier for the medical provider to better differentiate between healthy and affected tissue.

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Why Refurbished CT scanner Market Is Growing for Radiology Business?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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Introduction

According to many studies, the market for equipment in the sector of radiology is growing for many different reasons. The refurbished medical CT equipment market is supposed to grow during the next ten years. Some of the main points are the increase of the lifestyle diseases, increasing privatization of the healthcare field, and the rapid increase in the number of medical and surgical centers. For smaller hospitals, private practices, and medical centers, used or refurbished equipment is far more attractive especially when budgets demand them. Manufacturers claim that customers are buying new devices and they are very interested in upgrading the devices more frequently. The great thing is that the magnets can be upgraded in hardware.

Clients explain that purchasing refurbished medical equipment is like buying a new used car and it is still in a good shape. It is a big challenge for all new products which are coming out. It is almost impossible to offer some used medical product and promote a new one. This means that the refurbished product may undercut the sales of the new and advanced device and somehow it may also undercut the efforts of the force of the traditional sale. But, it is obvious that used and refurbished medical equipment must be offered too because some small start-up cardiac laboratory would buy them because of their economic status. They purchase a refurbished medical device because they have low patient loads but, when their business is growing then they could afford new equipment. These centers are making opportunities for the growth of the refurbished medical devices market.

Refurbished medical systems are fulfilling the medical imaging demand

It is well known that global medical market is noticing increased use of the refurbished systems because of the high cost of all medical devices and installation. All small practices look for refurbished medical equipment which comes with a warranty period for a couple of years. There are many local vendors who offer used or refurbished medical equipment. Due to the low purchasing power and the lack of awareness in developing countries, the small hospitals purchase form their local companies because they trust them and because they have better after-sales support. This trend seems to be good for the start-ups’ medical organizations because this way they would get an access to advanced medical imaging technologies.

The highest growing sector which accumulates 40% of the total market is the general x-ray segment. This segment is focusing on the emerging market such as China and India because of the great potential for growth and the expanding process for the next period. With the many innovations which are coming every day, the refurbished medical equipment is getting more and more evaluated, because not all medical centers could afford every new medical machine.

Summary

As technology progresses the ability to respond and detect diseases also increases in an effective manner. Medical imaging and radiology devices have drastically improved thanks to the advances in technology. These machines save a lot of lives and provide breakthrough medical advances. Many companies are responsible for supply, creation, and distribution of such a medical device.

The refurbished medical imaging market is growing rapidly in Europe and if it is managed properly it may become a strong market in most of the countries. It is good to know that there are two types of refurbishing: cosmetic and electromechanical. Only a few companies do a complete electromechanical refurnishing. Those services which provide warranty play a significant role in this marketplace.

The cost-effective medical treatments are one of the biggest factors which drive this market. The pressure from the budget involves more investments in the medical imaging equipment. The longevity of refurbished devices is one more factor which fuels the growth of this field. New global regulations and the low adoption rate are the threats to the growth of this market. But, the benefits of the environment are here to offer significant opportunities for this place.

The analyze of the growing refurbished medical imaging devices market is created under the base data of:

  • The segments and sub-segments in the market
  • The dynamics and trends in the market
  • The demand and supply
  • The size of the market
  • The current challenges, trends, and opportunities
  • The competitive landscape
  • The breakthroughs in technology
  • The value chain and the stakeholder analysis

This report includes extensive research and has a qualitative and quantitative assessment simply by processing data obtained from analysts in the selected industry and market persons who are crucial for the industry chain. Some information is obtained from matching trends in micro and macroeconomics and specific indicators in this field.

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