The Critical CT Scanner Step – Warming It Up Before Use

Like any equipment, CT scanners are incredibly expensive pieces of machinery and are essential components in various medical establishments. Since they are valuable, even repairing and replacing some of its elements may be costly. For this reason, you must operate your CT scanner properly to avoid damage and mishandling. 

One of the most expensive and essential parts of a CT scanner is the X-ray Tube. And seeing that it plays a vital role in the operations of a scanner, you need to prolong its life and allow it to warm up before use. When you don’t allow it to warm up properly, you could increase its wear and tear and ultimately shorten its lifespan.

When your CT scanner sustains any damage, you must have it repaired immediately before it fails completely. For this reason, it’s vital to get high-quality and correct replacement parts from reputable suppliers like DirectMed Parts.

If you’re curious about why you need to warm up your CT scanner before use, keep reading. Here are the benefits you get from following the right steps in operating your CT Scanner. Let’s get to it!

The CT Scanner Warm-Up Sequence

X-ray tubes convert electrical input power into X-rays, making them an extremely vital element that allows your CT scanner to capture diagnostic images. Because of this process, your CT scanner may require more energy to function and produce heat. 

When the X-ray tube’s anode is cold, heat production may require a lot of effort, which could cause damage to your machine. For this reason, you must prevent this sudden change of temperature from damaging your tubes by having a warm-up sequence, allowing your CT scanner to gradually warm-up. 

But why do you need to do this?

• Increase the Life of Your X-Ray Tubes

Generally, X-ray tubes can last up to three years, depending on the war and tear they sustain. Without proper warm-up procedures, they’ll most likely fail to operate much earlier in the timeline. In fact, you should know that one of the reasons X-ray tubes breakdown is due to overheating.

2. Reduces Premature Failing

When your X-ray tubes overheat, they’re more susceptible to failure prematurely, which could also cause other operating errors. Sadly, when you don’t warm up your CT scanners, it may go into overdrive really quickly and cause the system to shut down unexpectedly, damaging other parts of your scanner. 

3. Reduces Downtime

Seeing as CT Scanner warm-up procedures don’t take much time to complete, it’s best to put in a bit of time to warm up your device rather than suffer the consequences and be out of commission due to scanner failure. 

When your CT scanner is broken, you’ll most likely experience downtime in your facility, which could lead to havoc. Once you know your CT scanner parts need replacements, it’s critical to get high-quality parts to have your machine repaired and go through replacements right away. 

4. Repairs and Replacements Can Be Expensive

As mentioned earlier, CT scanners are costly pieces of machinery, and when it breaks down, you should know that you may spend up to $200,000 on repairs. 

To manage the blow of repairs, you should follow the right steps in operating your machine and include a warm-up sequence to ease in every part of your CT scanner for operations. 

Besides that, seeing that CT scanners need replacement parts every three years, setting aside a budget for replacements may help, and getting parts from a reputable supplier like DirectMed Parts is a cost-effective solution. 

The Bottom Line: Warming Up Your CT Scanner Can Save You from Unnecessary Expenses and Downtime

CT scanners don’t take that much time to warm up, and with that being said, you basically have no reason to miss this step. When you don’t properly heat your CT scanner, you’re going to have to deal with costly repairs and replacements, putting your team off-track with operations and going over your budget. 

This is why it’s important to have an efficient warm-up sequence and ensure that you use DirectMed Parts when your three-year CT scanner part replacement is due. 

Why Choose DirectMed Parts?

If you’re looking for the most trusted and knowledgeable source for medical imaging parts and services, DirectMed Parts is what you’re looking for. 

We specialize in CT and MRI parts and coils and provide exceptional and fast services to clients. Check out the imaging parts we offer and speak to one of our specialists today!