Refurbishment Best Practices for Medical Imaging Equipment like CT/MRI

Let’s begin by clearing the air. ‘Refurbished’ and ‘used’ are not synonyms, especially in the world of medical imaging systems. Refurbished diagnostic imaging systems are certified, thoroughly tested, and upgraded to meet Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and ISO 13485 standards. Used products, on the other hand, may or may not be tested and may or may not work as well as they should.

In short, ‘refurbished’ is a guarantee, ‘used’ is a gamble.

The 3S of refurbishment – standardized, systematic, stringent

Refurbishment is a systematic process that ensures the safety and effectiveness of the medical equipment without significantly changing the equipment’s or system’s performance and safety specifications.
When it comes to refurbishment best practices, quality checks are vital. They are performed at every stage. For instance, the system may be in good condition at the customer site but may get damaged during transportation even before refurbishment. To ensure this does not happen, all major systems and components are professionally de-installed, disassembled, packed, and transported without damage.

At the refurbishment center, quality control includes a thorough inspection, fault diagnostics, and testing of all visible parts, mechanical, electrical components, transducers, and electronic hardware and software performance. At this stage, worn-out parts are replaced; systems are professionally cleaned and sterilized; outdated parts are replaced with new or remanufactured parts; electrical components including connectors and cables are checked for damage; software updates are also done; and system, sub-system, component level quality testing and re-calibration is conducted.

Refurbished equipment must adhere to ISO 13485:2016 regulatory requirements for a quality management system. Once at the customer site, due processes must be followed for re-installation.

Refurbishment needs to be in step with innovation

Analog to digital, print-outs to mobile read-outs, invasive to non-invasive, 2D to 3D, the medical imaging industry has been undergoing changes in leaps and bounds, quite literally transforming healthcare. This is why the medical imaging refurbishing industry too needs to keep up to date on all the innovations in medical imaging.

Blue Star Engineering and Electronics recently opened a medical diagnostic equipment refurbishment facility at Bhiwandi. The 15,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility is fully equipped to refurbish a wide array of pre-owned cutting edge medical diagnostic imaging systems, including CT (Computed Tomography) scanners, Permanent Magnet MRI, and Supercon MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines. This is one of several facilities to be opened across the country because we know it is the need of the hour.

Post-sales service of refurbished equipment is just as important

Just as quality control is important when it comes to choosing the right vendor of medical imaging equipment, so is post-sales service.

A user can only judge the efficacy of the refurbishment process if the equipment works reliably, safely, and accurately with as little downtime as possible. Most OEMs offer a time-limited warranty for refurbished systems. After-sales support could include everything from warranties to regular services. For this, one needs trained technicians and engineers and that can happen only with a trusted service provider in the sector.

The innovations in refurbishment practices— standardized procedures, systematic approaches, and stringent quality controls — are resulting in equipment that has the safety and performance levels of brand new equipment. It’s no wonder then that the global refurbished medical imaging equipment market size is expected to touch USD 21.14 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 7.7%.

When looking to purchase refurbished medical diagnostics and imaging equipment, always go with a company that can guarantee the highest quality and service. Contact us for equipment that is tailor-made to your requirements as well as stringent standards of quality.