Over the years, I have placed and received thousands of ultrasound technical support calls. Regardless of…
Author: Matt Tomory
The FDA recently requested comments from the public on Refurbishing, Reconditioning, Rebuilding, Remarketing, Remanufacturing, and Servicing of Medical Devices Performed by Third-Party Entities and Original Equipment Manufacturers.
By Matt Tomory There is a relatively new family of systems in the U.S. ultrasound market…
By Matt Tomory As we finish celebrating Healthcare Technology Management Week and all that biomedical equipment…
Last month’s column discussed how to mitigate downtime and repair costs by predicting and preparing. This…
By Matt Tomory Being a Cub Scout and then Boy Scout, I was always taught to…
Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) probe usage and damage can be the single highest cost associated with ultrasound today. The complexity of the device coupled with the density of components throughout necessitates a very small thus fragile assembly. There are times when TEE transducers do wear out but in the majority of cases, malfunctions and damage are caused by mishandling or not caring for the device properly.
I wish to begin this article by wishing all our readers out there in digital and print a wonderful and prosperous New Year and hopes that your holidays were joyous and peaceful. Now on to ultrasound, I want to go back to the basics to get new readers up to speed and provide a refresher for our more seasoned visitors.
GE currently manufactures well over a dozen ultrasound systems to fit nearly every market and price point imaginable and occupy top billing in some of those markets. One of the reasons is that GE ultrasounds are very service friendly – even if you are not with the OEM. Back in 2003, I wrote training manuals for the GE Logiq 9 and Vivid 7 and even though I had been through factory training, I learned much more about the design philosophy of GE engineers through my research and development of these classes.
Philips Medical recently released the successors to the extremely popular iU22 and iE33 ultrasound/echocardiography systems. The new flagships are the Epiq 5 and Epiq 7 premium ultrasound and echocardiography systems. As with any new product release from any manufacturer, there are service challenges which may include software and hardware design issues as well as malfunctions.