Which C-bow should I buy?

Today, you may be faced with many choices when deciding to purchase a mobile C-arm. Although most are appropriate for most procedures, some may be particularly good for the procedures you perform. Of course, the first consideration must 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 the major manufacturers such as GE-OEC, Philips, Siemens and Ziehm, all of whom produce excellent products. Also, secondary manufacturing that includes companies like Genoray and Comed, both Korean organizations with a presence in the US that offer excellent products. Although you may not feel so 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 that performs similarly to their American and Japanese competitors.

These new full-size mobile C-arms range in price from $70,000 to $275,000. Your 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″. Picture monitors are also high-resolution flat-panel displays that are used in conjunction with high-performance software. Obviously, as features get stronger so does price, so it’s important to determine exactly what’s required and how much you can afford to spend before you start looking.

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

If you’ve decided you don’t want to make a substantial investment in a new system, you may want to consider a fully refurbished used unit. The truth is, not much has changed with C-arm fluoroscopy technology. You can buy units made in 1990 for as little as $12,000 or late-model units built in 2008 for $90,000 or more, 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 certainly adequate to handle most procedures. They produce Dicom information or can be retrofitted with devices that allow both storage and extended distribution of 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 vendor for a refurbished system can be almost as important as choosing the right unit. Important topics include receiving a detailed proposal with specifications, having a technician set up the unit and providing training on how to operate it. Make sure system manuals, internal shipping estimate, and warranty information are included. Service contracts typically range from $8,000 to $15,000 per year, demonstrating the value of warranty coverage. Make sure the supplier provides an FDA 2579 form showing the system information to be provided to US, state and local regulatory agencies.

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

Lastly, it would be wise to choose a member of the International Association of Medical Equipment Resellers and Service Providers (IAMERS) to supply your equipment. Members of this organization subscribe to providing quality products, honest representations while maintaining the highest level of ethics and customer service. If you’re considering a non-member provider, you may be wondering why they can’t or won’t participate. Not everyone can qualify and there are around 150 members worldwide.