by
John W. Mitchell, Senior Correspondent | June 20, 2022
From the June 2022 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
One of the more unusual installs in the past year was cited by Robert Anderson, U.S. and Canada implementation manager for Carestream. The company installed an X-ray room aboard the new MV Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.
“We project-managed part of the installation remotely from the U.S. while the imaging room was being installed on the ship in China,” said Anderson. “Then the ship sailed to Belgium, and we project-managed the rest of the installation remotely from the U.S. while the ship was in port there. The ship will eventually be in Dakar, Senegal to provide medical training in the coming months.”
In another service feat, MXR Imaging had to remove a mobile MR in New York City in space walled off by surrounding expansion over the years. The only way to remove the unit was to devise a double crane swing over existing buildings.
“Two cranes were involved, and the mobile had to be transferred from one crane to the other while hoisted up in the air,” said Yellen.
In addition to CT installs in hospitals and clinics, Canon is active in the veterinary sector. The company recently installed a new large-bore CT scanner at a world-class equestrian center in Florida. The system combines a Canon CT scanner with a unique lifting platform that allows examinations to be performed on standing, non-anesthetized horses.
“Installing this type of system is much different than installing a traditional CT scanner due to the height-adjustable gantry system and platform,” Brian Hutfless, Canon’s vice president for south zone services, told HCBN. "This scanner system allows the gantry to lower below floor level for imaging of horse extremities. The gantry also raises above floor level for head, neck, and body imaging.”
Helium-free MR and AI features gain ground
One area of interest among providers seeking new imaging technology is helium free, or low helium MR systems, according to Adam Senne, national account executive with Simon Hegele.
"This could be a game-changer in the process of easing the installation requirements and concerns about rushing magnets to a site and getting the cold head running to avoid the loss of costly helium,” said Senne. “The continued challenges in the global helium market will likely drive this transition even further in the next few years.”
Senne contrasts this with the height of the pandemic, when customers were keenly focused on basic radiography equipment for faster turn-around of COVID lung images. Now, he sees a trend toward deinstalling used systems to make way for new equipment. These used systems take several paths depending upon age, ranging from refurbishment and reselling, to parts harvesting or outright scrap.
