Which C-arm should I buy?

Today, you may be faced with many options when deciding to purchase a moving C-arm. Although most are appropriate for most procedures, some may be particularly good for the procedures you perform. Of course, the first consideration should be financial. You certainly can’t buy a $ 150,000 unit if your budget maxes out at $ 50,000. Let’s look at some of the options.

If you have decided that you will only consider a new C-arm, the field is limited to major manufacturers, such as GE-OEC, Philips, Siemens, and Ziehm, all of which produce excellent products. Additionally, secondary manufactures include companies such as Genoray and Comed, both Korean organizations with a US presence that offer excellent products. Although you may not be as comfortable considering one of these products, millions of Americans now drive Hyundai and Kia; The reason is that they have a good product at a more competitive price with similar performance to their American and Japanese competitors.

These new full-size mobile C-arches range in price from $ 70,000 to $ 275,000. Its feature options range from units that provide basic fluoroscopy for pain management procedures to units designed to accommodate cardiovascular and / or neurovascular procedures. The new high-end units are now equipped with flat panel digital detectors instead of traditional image intensifiers. Viewing fields range from 9 “to 15”. Image monitors are also high-resolution flat-panel displays that are used in conjunction with high-performance software. Obviously, as features get more robust, so do prices, so it’s important to determine exactly what is required and how much you can afford before you start looking.

Models to consider are the GE-OEC 9900 series, Philips Veradis Neo, BV Bracelet and BV Endura, the Siemens Arcadis line and the Compact L and the Ziehm Vision and Solo line. The Genoray line includes the ZEN-2090 Pro and the ZEN-7000. Comed offers the KMC-950.

If you’ve decided that you don’t want to make a substantial investment in a new system, you may want to consider a completely refurbished second-hand unit. The truth is, not much has changed with C-arc fluoroscopy technology. You can buy 1990-produced units for as little as $ 12,000 or late-model 2008-built units for $ 90,000 and up, depending on features and software. . The only difference between these units is that they may have CRT monitors, the images may not be as sharp as a new unit, but they are certainly adequate to handle most procedures. They produce Dicom information or can be adapted with devices that allow for the extended storage and distribution of both patient information and images.

There are many units to choose from. The most popular include OEC 9800, OEC 9600, OEC 9400, OEC 9000, OEC 7700 / Compact. Philips BV Bracelet, BV Endura, BV 300, BV Libra, BV 29, BV 25. Siemens Arcadis, Siremobil Compact L, Siremobil Iso-C, Siremobil Compact, Siremobil 2000. Ziehm Quantum, Vista, Exposcop 7000, Exposcop CB7 -D.

Choosing a supplier for a refurbished system can be almost as important as choosing the correct unit. Major issues include receiving a detailed proposal with specifications, having a technician configure the unit, and providing training on how to operate it. Make sure system manuals, estimate of internal shipping costs, and warranty information are included. Service contracts generally range from $ 8,000 to $ 15,000 per year that substantiate the value of the warranty coverage. Make sure the supplier provides an FDA 2579 form showing the system information that will be provided to US, state and local regulatory agencies.

An imaging table may also be required if you purchase a C-arm for an installation that has not used a C-arm in the past. There are many different options to choose from, ranging from inexpensive 4-leg tables to multi-motion trampoline (cantilever) top tables. These C-arch tables range in price from $ 2,500 to over $ 35,000.

Finally, it would be advisable to choose a member of the International Association of Medical Equipment Distributors and Service Providers (IAMERS) to provide your equipment. Members of this organization sign up to provide quality products, honest representations, while maintaining the highest level of ethics and customer service. If you are considering a non-member supplicant, you may be wondering why they cannot or cannot participate. Not everyone can qualify and there are around 150 members worldwide.