With more and more DR (Direct Radiography) Panels entering the market each year, it can be confusing to select the DR Panel that best fits your needs. Here are the most important attributes that you should consider while shopping for a new DR Panel:
- Overall Size/Movability
- Software Tools/Features
- Duration of Support
- Scintillator Type/Image Quality
- Overall Cost
Overall Size/Movability
The 3 most popular options on the market today are; 14×17 cassette size, 17×17 fixed (larger than cassette sized), and 17×17 cassette sized. The term cassette sized means that the DR is the same size as the traditional Film or CR cassettes and the new DR will fit right into the cassette tray(s). If you are an existing practice and you already have cassette tray(s) than cassette sized is your best/easiest options. The 17×17 fixed DR is a great option for practices like Chiropractic Doctors or Pulmonary Clinics where all of your exams will be taken on the Upright Wallstand Receptor (aka Bucky).
Software Tools/Features
In large facilities such as Hospitals and Imaging Centers the most important features of the new software have to do with integrating properly with the existing larger network of work flow to the EMR, EHR, RIS or PACS, features like: MWL (Modality Work List) Acquisition Method, HL7 (Health Level 7) Acquisition Method, and Compression types.
In smaller facilities especially Chiropractors, Urgent Care Facilities, and Family Practices the software that you purchase with the DR Panel might very well be the only Medical Imaging software in the office. If this is the case, it is very important to purchase a DR Panel Package that has a Mini-PACS feature where you can use the acquisition PC to act as a server to pull up the patient images in any room within your office for Analysis, ROF (report of findings), and administrative tasks. Lastly, very important for Chiropractors is that the software you purchase has the built-in Analysis tool set that you desire; Upper Cervical tools (NUUCA, Orthospinology, Advanced Orthoganal or Blair), Gonstead Tools, CBP (Chiropractic Bio Physics) Tools, Etc.
Duration of Support
What is very common in the industry today is to have a 5-year manufactures Hardware warranty. Anode Imaging always encourages our customers to purchase DR Panels and other equipment with this 5-year manufactures coverage. The other aspect of Support Duration is the Remote Software Support. Depending on your Practices needs you may want to opt to have a 5-year Remote Software Support as well incase you need to call technical support for any reason. A good trick is to add this extended support in during the purchase of the DR Panel for two reasons: Many times, when you bundle it together at the beginning it is cheaper that paying for each additional year, and secondly you can put the entire cost into your Equipment Financing (assuming there will be a loan) so there will not be a cash-flow hit each additional year of added support.
Scintillator Type/Image Quality
Two of the most popular Scintillator types over the past few years have been Gadolinium Oxide (GadoX) and Cesium Oxide (Csi). The general rule of thumb is; Cesium is 20% better image quality than Gadox for a 20% higher purchase price. Many manufactures of DR Panels are making strives in manufacture to do away with this old adage by way of economy of scale. In other words, enough Cesium panels have been produced recently to drop the overall cost the consumer enough to rival GadoX. Here at Anode Imaging we highly suggest that you insist on Cesium DR Panels as the price difference is now negligible.
Overall Cost
Historically the purchase prices for a Flat Panel DR have been dropping dramatically each year for about the past decade. However recent trends suggest that the market has found a stable ground within the 20K-30K range for a complete DR Panel Package Solution. What Anode Imaging provides to our customers is a complete package of customizable features that fits the individual customers needs and still keeps the price at rock bottom. When shopping for a DR the costs for seemingly similar products can vary greatly, but what is most important is that you are comparing “apples to apples”. If you take the above 4 items into consideration when comparing pricing that will be the true test. What is most important is that you are purchasing the product that fits your practices’ needs and that you are getting the best bang for your buck!
Contact Anode Imaging today and get a quote for the DR Panel Package that best fits the individual needs of your business!
Call 866-291-XRAY (9726) or email info@anodeimaging.com.
