Should You Buy New or Used Medical Equipment?
Purchasing medical equipment is a time-consuming process that requires diligent and careful research. If you need new devices, consider if leasing medical equipment may be more cost-efficient for you. Depending on your lease/purchase, it can be easier, for example, to finance MRI equipment when leasing rather than purchasing.
Regardless of your decision to purchase or lease, the first step is to evaluate your requirements and begin researching manufacturers & models. Since generally medical devices are used for one purpose, you probably have an idea of the type of equipment you’d like to acquire therefore most of your research will be around the manufacturer and model of said device. Remember to also consider the age of the model when evaluating devices.
The next step after that entails evaluating your financing options as well as considering if leasing is a better option for you and your business.
How Cost-Effective is Purchasing New Medical Equipment?
Temperature, which is specified in units of degrees, is the physical quantity related to an object that signals its proportionate heat content. Any physical changes, including melting, are precisely related to the temperature of an object instead of its heat content. The connection between temperature and heat content of the anode of the x-ray tube contains a third quantity that is a characteristic of the anode: heat capacity.
Heat = Heat Capacity * Temperature is how the average relationship is expressed.
Heat capacities of x-ray tubes are relatively proportional to their size or mass. It is also a characteristic of a material called specific heat. The temperature increases proportionally in regards to the amount of heat being added to an object. However, the temperature increase is inversely proportional to the anode of the heat capacity in the x-ray tube. If an anode possesses a large heat capacity, the rise in temperature rise is less than one with small heat capacity.
The temperature of an anode is therefore decided by the connection between its heat capacity and heat content. It starts with the heat production in the focal spot of an anode. Then the heat travels using conduction all through the anode body. It also moves through radiation to the tube housing where heat is transferred (by radiation as well) from an anode body to the tube housing. Then, heat travels to the surrounding cooling medium from the tube housing. Heat moves in and out of the areas mentioned when the tube is being used. As expected, damage can happen when the heat content goes past the maximum heat capacity.
Multislice CT Scanner X-Ray Tubes
Unlike most other technological factors, since the burden on the tube is lessened by the multislice detector the CT Scanner x-ray tubes are positively impacted. The x-ray tube does not have to be larger per se in this situation however if a faster rotation is used together with a multislice detector system, that would be a different scenario. Since these are difficult qualifications to meet, brand new tube designs are necessary in order for them to be safe, precise and extend product life. The heat capacity of the current multislice CT machine ranges from several mega- heat units to up to 8 mega heats. The largest CT scanner x-ray tubes’ maximum heat dissipation is over 2,000-kilo heat units per minute.
CT-Scanner X-Ray Tube’s Future
Based on the needs of the medical field in regards to x-ray sources, the future is improving the following aspects. Engineers are working to shorten rotation times, increasing scanning power, smaller focal spots, and shorter cool-down periods. This would all improve the patient experience and allow the doctors and physicians to diagnose/treat illnesses more effectively.
