Ways to Save Money on Ultrasound Maintenance

There are many ways to save money when it comes to ultrasound systems. These include being proactive before, during and after the purchase.

In the beginning…

Let’s start at the beginning of our timeline. When your organization is considering an ultrasound purchase, it is critical for biomedical/clinical engineering to become involved and ask the right questions. Is training and documentation included in the purchase? What about access to passwords, magic decoder rings and diagnostics? It is important to establish a foundation for product service and support for the product once the original warranty expires.

Warranty…

What good is a warranty if it is not fully utilized?

Be certain your system is maintained properly during the warranty period by checking with the clinical department to make sure issues are addressed promptly. These can be malfunctions or potentially inherent problems with the latest hardware or software. You want to make sure that these items are remedied and documented. It is also a good practice to have a reminder set to notify you when the warranty is 30 days from expiring so you can inspect probes, displays, user interfaces and other items on the system. The inspection will allow for problems to be addressed while your warranty is still in effect.

To partner with a quality independent service organization such as MXR Imaging to assist you with additional training, technical support, parts, probes and service. Organizations like MXR will make you have full support and a common mission of quality, value, uptime and integrity.

Post warranty…

Now that you are managing the service on your systems, it is critical to be proactive on things you can do to reduce downtime and increase reliability. Those of you who have heard me speak during classes, lectures or read my articles know I am a backup fiend. Having several contemporary backups of your system’s options, presets, network settings, etc. is one of the most important things you can do to maintain uptime. Along with backups, regular filter cleaning is mandatory -especially for more contemporary systems such as the iU22/iE33 and GE Logiq/Vivid E9 series. There are several filters and cooling grates or screens that need to be cleaned at least quarterly. Please contact us for assistance in locating these.

By following these basic guidelines, you can decrease the cost of ownership of ultrasound systems and ensure happy customers.