The process of maintaining your medical imaging equipment relies heavily on knowing when to repair or replace the equipment as well as what exactly goes into each option.
As a technician dealing with hundreds and perhaps thousands of pieces of equipment, it’s important to keep tabs on the status of each item with a clearly defined process that keeps department heads and hospital management in the loop.
Given the significant (and often up-front) investment that is made into purchasing new equipment, it’s often preferable to repair medical imaging equipment. There are three major factors that you need to consider when it comes to maintaining your equipment.
Cost of Repairs vs. the Cost to Replace
When you own any given piece of medical imaging equipment, you need to understand that you are investing in the equipment in three ways: You are investing in:
- The equipment’s acquisition
- Its operation
- Its maintenance
Don’t make the mistake of lumping these together because they are distinct. During the course of any equipment’s lifespan, you must keep track of these investments. Major deviations from your budget might affect your decision about whether you should continue to repair the equipment or replace it outright.
For example, if the cost to repair your equipment is exceeding what you’ve budgeted, exploring a replacement may be a wise move. The good news is medical imaging equipment is generally easy to maintain, so oftentimes repairing any of your equipment is an easy investment when it comes to maintenance.
Is the equipment obsolete?
Another thing you should consider is how obsolete your equipment might be. But the issue of obsolescence is surrounded by gray areas when it comes to medical imaging equipment. Take for example the many OEC replacement parts we sell on a daily basis. This equipment isn’t ‘brand new’ and yet it’s used every day in hospitals and medical facilities across the country. If the equipment continues to meet your needs and the maintenance budget, then keep repairing it.
Existing hospital technology and data management
While there is a temptation to purchase the latest model of a certain piece of equipment, that piece of equipment may not be perfectly compatible with the hardware and systems that are currently in use at your facility.
“Upgrading” certain medical imaging equipment may seem like a logical move, but you will likely need to involve other departments and decisions makers to verify if other systems also need an upgrade.
The temptation to replace your medical imaging equipment is greater than ever. Major medical equipment manufactures will say that there is “no other option” than to replace equipment even if only a small repair needs to be made.
Our advice is to do all you can to make sure that you can repair your medical imaging equipment before seeking out replacements.
Searching for used medical equipment parts
If you’re searching for used medical equipment parts for your diagnostic equipment, radiology systems and other life-saving devices, we encourage you to search our inventory. We have thousands of parts in-stock and ready to ship.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? We’re always adding new parts to our inventory and some might not appear in our web store yet! Feel free to contact us with questions about any part.