Which One You Choose Open MRI Scanner vs. Closed MRI Scanner

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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All MRI systems are utilized for the same reason and it is for a radiation-free test for taking detailed images of a person’s internal organs and all structures. Those persons who are in this medical filed should consider the fact that there are two different types of MRI which could offer more benefits to patients in many ways.

Below are presented a few differences between closed and open MRI’s systems:

  • Technical differences and magnet strength: To make things clear here is a short explanation of the terms “open” and “close” MRI. The main feature is in the shape of the magnets which are used in the MRI scanners. A closed MRI has a capsule-like design and in this system, the magnet surrounds the person. Contrary to this method, an open MRI has a magnet top and bottom that allows for an opening on the sides. It is good to know that an MRI device is measured in Tesla units. There are tests which need a stronger signal to detect if there is an issue with some internal organ. The power of a closed MRI unite may vary from 35 to 15 Tesla and it offers a high level of power. An open MRI device offers 2 to 3 Tesla which scans between two large metal discs.
  • Patient experience and comfort: According to many studies, an open MRU can decrease the risk of panic attacks and claustrophobia among many persons. There are patients for whom this is the only option but for many, a closed MRI can also offer a great experience and resul Another feature which is addressed to the patient is their size. Overweight patients may not fit properly in a closed MRI device. The main advantage to a closed MRI is the speed of the imaging process. In general, the process is performed faster and at the same time, allowing the patient to be done and on with their day faster.
  • The accuracy of the imaging process: Both systems designs can provide great resul According to the design, there are cases in which an open MRI is not able to take photos of certain areas of the body. And again, the photos which are taken may not be of the lesser quality of that of a closed MRI. Because of this reason, certain scans it is better to be taken with a closed MRI.
  • Closed MRI: This is a great device for all patients who are not claustrophobic and have not a problem to withstand a long time within the MRI machine. Even though this device offers clear and accurate information it is not suitable for every person.
  • Open MRI: This system is good as the closed system, but it is more convenient for a lot of patients. According to the name of the machine. An open MRI is an open device which doesn’t utilize the tube-like design. This type of system is more suitable for claustrophobic and for geriatric patients, senior citizens, and children. Studies have shown that the open MRI system is much better than the closed MRI system. It is good to keep in mind that these devices are not limited by the size of the patient and they also provide more unity to the common people.

How do people choose which system is better for them?

The final decision on what type of MRI is going to be used depends on what the patient prefers. It is a question that cannot be easily answered. As mentioned above, there are plenty of factors that play a significant role in the final decision. The patient should consult his doctor about what system would be the best and will also produce high-quality images for the patient’s needs. If a patient tends to get more nervous in small spaces, then the open MRI is the best choice for such a patient. If the patient is a child or a larger person, it is possible that the closed MRI device can cause stress and it would for sure make the scan last longer than usual.

Keep in mind that MRI systems are safe and effective test which can be used for saving people’s life. If the doctor refers the patient to an MRI scan, he should explain to the patient which type is better for each one. Every recommendation is individual and is costumed for each person and finally, it will vary depending on the patient’s preferences and needs.

It is very important to realize that MRI system imaging offers a unique view into the interior of the patient’s body and has become an essential device of the modern medical imaging and disease diagnosis. However, MRI gives the opportunity to obtain important diagnostic images which can lead to an early detection of some serious disease.

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How to Keep Your CT Scanner Compliant with New Standard for Radiation Imaging Dose Requirements?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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We are all witnesses that the usage of CT scanners and nuclear medicine imaging for diagnostic purposes has made a boom in the past few years. Historically, in 1980 we could find 3 million CT scanners in the U.S. but that number in 2006 has dramatically increased. Nowadays, patients are getting more and more informed and educated about the possibilities that CT scanners offer. At the same time, they are also concerned about the effects of the increased radiation exposure. Medical professionals keep the amount of dose in a proposed level by the commission of radiation.

The radiation dose of CT is an area of concern which addresses to the diagnostic imaging requirements of the Joint Commission. Their perspective and regulations are revised in all accredited hospitals, private clinics, and other healthcare institutions.

It is good to know that all standards and proposed protocols have evolved and all that with the new recommendations of accredited professional associations and organizations. These new protocols are addressed to the point that diagnostic imaging is performed safely.  Another very important thing that should be mentioned is that new standards cover MRI safety, testing and maintenance of the imaging equipment and devices, the inspections, the documentation of the CT radiation dose, training and education for the diagnostic CT technologist on radiation dose optimization, pediatric imaging, and the safe procedure of the CT device which has been used. Diagnosing imaging has far more regulations and protocols than any other medical area and it must be controlled by few security organizations such as American College of Radiology, CMS and finally FDA.

Balancing and the quality of radiation dose

Medical professionals know what the right radiation dose for every medical procedure. They know when they can reduce the dose because if they reduce the dose too much; they won’t obtain the quality they need. They explain the term the optimization of radiation dose which means that they are utilizing the minimal dose for a specific condition with a proposed piece of medical devices to produce a good diagnostic result.

There are three golden standards in this medical area. They are the following:

  • The medical professional must be sure that the imaging equipment is working properly and conducting annually the evaluations of the performance of the imaging devices
  • The staff that performs these procedures must be qualified and trained. This involves using a qualified medical professional
  • The clinical administer must be sure that the medical professional he/she oversees is educated on optimizing CT radiation dose to support safe imaging and at the same time manage the potential risks in the MRI suite.

Keep your CT scanner in the right way with the new standards for radiation dose

Below are some tips on how a medical center could start to follow these new protocols which are addressed to the radiation dose:

  • Analyze the exposure dose for all patients. Every medical organization must track the radiation usage in their center just to find out how big is the risk after patients and medical Those tracking results should be automated and upgraded according to new standards and protocols. This could be measured by a software-based technology system which would be a great investment of the medical center.
  • Improve the clinical data access. It would be great to have access to the patient’s radiation dose history. This way the medical professionals would customize treatment which would be the best for the patient’s heal Since more patients are concerned about their risk of radiation, this would help them be more informed about their exposure to radiation.
  • Manage the exposure dose for medical physicians. Medical professionals are also exposed to radiation dose when they perform this procedure for the patients.
  • Avoid penalties with lower dose medical Some medical healthcare institutions are investing in low-dose imaging medical devices which could be beneficial for their long-term working period especially because more and more patients are going to lower-dose hospitals.
  • Rely on the best offices to select scans. All radiology departments should work according to the protocols and standards set by American College of Radiol This way they would meet their criteria and at the same time, they would avoid every other complication. New technology systems account for every patient which is the right radiation dose according to their body size and age.

Summary

Patients are more and more included in their personal healthcare and they use a different type of sources to inform themselves about the procedure that follows. If a dose management program is implemented, this could help to meet today’s standards for radiation dose.

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The Biggest Industry Trends Changing the Landscape of Medical Imaging Equipment

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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The whole world of radiology faces big changes which are addressed to payment, clinical and technological levels, policy, business, and healthcare IT leaders can help the radiology people to transform their offices, so they can meet the requirements of the new healthcare system. Radiology is one of the most oriented specialties to technology and it is caught in a complex circle of diverse trends of all types.

At some point, the economics of radiology sectors are also changing faster than ever. It is obvious the demand for diagnostic imaging services across various healthcare regions, micro-areas, and local markets. This fact, and the high cost of maintaining radiological offices has united with rapidly improving imaging technology.

The rapid growth of each imaging modality is modified by so many different factors, but several trends are going to affect the future revenues for the entire medical imaging equipment market. Three of these trends mentioned below and are followed by some institutions for capitalizing on these trends.

Trend 1 – The influence of the aging global population which is stretching healthcare resources and at the same time changing buying strategies for medical imaging equipment.

According to the statistics made by WHO, the proportion of the global population would probably rise from 12% – 22% during the period from 2015-2050. This aging trend would cause some significant changes and will affect almost every part of the world. This means that the old population would increase the global rates for all chronic diseases, involving heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. This phenomenon will bring changes in the healthcare systems. When this happens, the imaging medical equipment will have to produce high-quality care for all patients especially for the aging populations, and services for growing inpatient and outpatient volumes. This means that the medical imaging equipment use would increase. The industry that is related to the healthcare systems would continue to bring negative effect over medical imaging budgets. This fact is explained by the point that the equipment which can be utilized quickly and for more procedures will be the focus for almost every healthcare provider. It is good to know that medical imaging equipment rises efficiency and at the same time maximize the return-on-investment. A great example of this is a handheld ultrasound system could probably offer better return-on-investment for healthcare professionals who need to conduct examination of people in multiple healthcare organizations than a stationary system. When it comes to the x-ray equipment market, healthcare professionals give an eye on efficiency is leading to the decline of fluoroscopy-dedicated- x-ray systems and all this because healthcare institutions are consolidating multiple dedicated fluoroscopy rooms into singular spaces that are more cost-effective and potentially have a higher usage rate.

Trend 2: Some changes to the US healthcare system are making the medical imaging usage rates low, lengthening the replacement rates, and encouraging all providers to buy less imaging equipment.

According to several searches, the US market was marked as the largest of all countries for the period of 2016, accounting for twenty-five percent of global revenues and recent modifications to medical imaging legislation. This means that if there are changes in the US market, it will affect most of the global imaging equipment market. The main factors which affect the US medical imaging equipment market are the following ones:

  • Cuts to medical imaging reimbursement
  • Shift from fee-for-service model to value-based model
  • Newly bundled procedural codes for billing purposes
  • Concerns over harmful radiation dose
  • Increasing numbers of patients with high-deductible health plans
  • Growing popularity of satellite imaging facilities

Trend 3: Healthcare spending is growing in almost all developed countries and increasing the uptake of basic medical imaging equipment.

This trend will affect the regions such as Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.

Summary

According to many studies, to meet the needs of good healthcare systems, all manufacturers have the need to develop a portfolio of their own products and solutions that will increase the efficiency and at the same time will maximize the return-on-investment. Another thing to consider is that the replacement rates for all imaging equipment are lengthening and all US providers are buying less equipment. Because of this, suppliers of this type of medical equipment tend to be more creative in the creation of their new strategy and more flexible in their intention to be considered for deals. They must remain competitive in the US market. When the trend three is revised, then it is noticeable that manufacturers need to create strong sales in the countries in Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East because this trend will drive the most growth for the imaging market through 2020.

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What Are the Steps to Relocate Medical Imaging Equipment?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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Relocation of the medical imaging equipment needs to be done by professional technicians with years of experience. Many hospitals prefer to locate such heavy and expensive equipment on the main floor to avoid steps. But the modern technology can allow the installation of such equipment on upper floors also. The suppliers, installers, Physicians and the staff of the recipients working together will be required to create a CAD Drawings floorplan to accommodate the primary unit like MRI and attendant structures like Faraday room (RF room), chiller. The CAD Drawings must be approved by all the affected parties for the success of such a project.  The movement of the equipment thru hallways, steps, corners must me mapped out to avoid surprises when the equipment arrives to locate it from the truck to the final destination.  On the site testing of Faraday Cage Shielding, recirculating cooling chillers, pumps and access to add the liquid helium to cool down the superconductive magnets coil in MRI scanners to a temperature below 10 Kelvin. A company called Cryogenics has developed a new way to cool magnets for MRI machines to near absolute zero without the need for a continuous supply of expensive liquid helium. Sometimes, medical workers are not sure why these steps cost and take so much time but the explanation is that they don’t really know what is all included in this process. But, if a person hasn’t moved such a machine yet he doesn’t know what to expect. Most of the imaging systems are not plug-and-play.

If your medical health care center has bought the latest model of imaging machine so, it is the time to locate it in the right area of the hospital. This means that the old equipment needs to be removed. De-installing, moving, relocating and re-installing such equipment is a tall order costing in access of $50,000.00. Semi-trucks, cranes and experienced manpower are required to undertake such project safely, timely and you are not allowed to break anything that may cost another $50,000 .00 or potentially render the equipment junk. Shipping such an equipment to the international client involves whole sets of new issues. But the resources are available to ship such equipment globally at the cost of $10,000.00 to $40,000.00.

Below are the tips to explain the general steps in the relocation of the medical imaging equipment:

  • All these devices are expensive, large, and cumbersome. The medical technicians must be sure that the machines will fit properly in the selected area more exactly they will fit throughout the doors, around corners, and down hallways very easy. People must be also sure that the room is strong enough and they have to be aware that sometimes they may need to install metal rails or plates. A person needs to plan everything even though changing the power supply going into the planned area to bolting steel plates on the floor.
  • Make a plan for downtime. When the time for moving the machine has come, be sure that to cease or alter the work in the surrounded area. Create a game plan some day before and all the people who are affected in the process are notified and have a proper timetable.
  • Reinstall This is sometimes self-explanatory, but there could appear a collateral damage to the schedule of the patients if the medical staff is not careful about the communicating details of the relocation plan. Another thing which has to be considered is that this process could be difficult for the regular flow of the business which is advised to be in the surrounding rooms while Reinstallation process is going on.
  • The bolts and the Nuts of the move. There is a wide range of actions here. In some situations, the movement of the medical imaging equipment could be very easy especially if you need a few people to finish the procedure. But, in some cases, when you try to move larger equipment you may need a crane or you could probably hire special professionals to reassemble or disassemble. Take a deep breath and think about your relocation because besides all, the imaging equipment is expensive and valuable. Maybe the best way is to find a proper company which knows how to best perform this action.
  • Reinstallation Time. Keep in mind that the machine reinstallation of some new protocols and upgrades may take time and in some cases, it may take longer than 1-5 days. This is why you have to be sure that the final destination for the medical imaging equipment is ready. By creating a timetable you would be sure that all processes are falling into place-instead of falling apart. The most common delays in this section occur when the selected room is not ready. This is why a careful planning pays off.
  • Think about the calibration process. It is good to know that the medical imaging devices are very sensitive and may not be functional after the relocation process is completed. The chosen installer needs to make sure that the calibration is where it should be for that modality. Do not schedule patients until the equipment installation, calibrations are completed and dry run testing is done.

Find a proper company to make the procedure cost less

In most of the cases a proper company which knows its work would be a perfect solution not only about the lower costs but because it would know the entire trick, a medical worker would not even imagine.  Below are several tips for finding the proper company.

  • Engineering experience: Find the right engineer with qualified training and education. Look for his experience in the proper area of work and make a decision if he is the right person for your process. The medical center could ask for license, certificate or some other pertinent document to clarify expertise of the company.
  • Look for flexibility: When you find the right company, they will have all the answers to complete your task and relocation process. Make sure that the staff is not tasked with other healthcare organization so the process would be delayed a few days more. This is not in your favor. You can have penalty clause if the project is not done within the agreed upon time limit.
  • Lower Rates: This is far away from the biggest factor in all Take a close look at what the company charges about the relocation process and see if that offer is convenient for you.

KB Consulting provides a full line pre-owned and refurbished medical imaging equipment for sale. Get in touch with us to buy medical equipment at the best price.

To get further information on availability, price, specification, and condition, please feel free to call us at +1 586 917 0245 or email us at sales@kbdentalconsulting.com.

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