You are looking to buy your first ultrasound scanner or upgrade your current one but where do you start. There are so many scanners in the market that you can end up getting lost in specs and jargon. It doesn’t help that manufacturers give different names to similar applications. GE for example names compound imaging as X-beam, but Canon calls it Aplipure.
You have a large choice of well-known brands such as GE, Canon (formerly Toshiba), Philips and Siemens and also from less well know ultrasound companies such as Vinno. You can also choose to buy a portable ultrasound scanner or a cart-based one.
So where do you start with your ultrasound scanner purchasing journey?
Budget
We all want the best with the most features in case we need them in the future, but you have to be realistic and consider your budget and if the money you will be making from providing ultrasound scans will pay for the scanner, and you will also make a profit.
Cost of Maintenance.
You will have to factor into your budget the cost of maintenance that sometimes can be up to £7000+ a year. Unfortunately, ultrasound scanners like everything are prone to breakdowns. You will have to consider how much downtime can you realistically afford, as you do not want your scanner to be down for weeks as this might have a significant effect on your cash flow.
You will have then to choose the best lever of maintenance to guarantee the smooth running of your business.
Applications
You need to consider the applications the scanner will be used for. The more applications the more ultrasound probes you will need and the cost of an ultrasound scanner can then skyrocket.
If you are planning to offer obs and gynae scans, for example, you do not necessarily need a linear probe but if you’re planning to offer MSK you won’t be able to do without one.
What kind of probes you will need?
Ultrasound probes can be very expensive, and your budget will significantly affect the choice and the number of probes you can purchase.
Depending on what you are planning to scan, you will need the correct probe:
Abdominal scanning: Abdominal probe or Curvilinear as otherwise known so you can evaluate the major abdominal organs such as liver, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen. The abdominal probe can be used to evaluate the uterus and ovaries transabdominaly.
Gynaeclogical scanning: Transvaginal probe and possibly an abdominal probe as sometimes transvaginal scanning might be suboptimal and transabdominal might give you a better understating of pathology.
MSK and small parts: If you are planning to scan superficial organs such as the breast, testes, thyroids and subcutaneous lumps you will need a high-frequency linear probe. Sometimes you will two linear probes of different frequencies depending on how deep is the structure you want to image.
Most probes these days are multi-frequency (eg 6-15MHz) and generally speaking for MSK scanning you will need a high-frequency linear probe.
If the majority of your caseload is hands or feet then it is worth considering a ‘hockey stick’ probe as these are generally higher resolution with a much smaller footprint which is ideal for getting around the bony surfaces
Urology: A linear probe should be more than enough to evaluate the kidneys and the bladder. If you are however only interested to measure bladder volumes you should consider purchasing a bladder scanner which will be significantly cheaper.
Anaesthetics: In anaesthesia the structures to the image are superficial, and therefore a linear probe is required. There today available USB probes that plug into your laptop or iPad and turn your iPad to an ultrasound scanner such as the Vinno Q. Advantages of the USB ultrasound probes is the great portability, and they cost significantly less than a dedicated ultrasound machine.
Portability
Think about where you will be using the scanner. Will it be static in one location or used across multiple sites? As a rule of thumb, a bigger scanner will give a better image as it has more space for processing power, but you can’t easily take a cart-based scanner from site to site. If you go too small for ultra-portability you tend to lose functionality. There are plenty of laptop-sized scanners that are great for physiotherapy departments and are a good compromise between cost/portability & image quality.
As with everything you buy, you get what you pay for, so have a think about what you will be scanning and do you need to pay extra to get it? Most functions will come as standard; things like callipers, harmonic imaging, edge enhancement, colour and power Doppler are all entry-level.
If you are just starting out do you really need needle visualisation or elastography? They are nice luxuries, but they will cost extra and can all be added on later.
You can read about the benefits of having a portable ultrasound machine and how portable ultrasound scanners are changing healthcare.
Injections
All scanners can be used for needle guidance, but some scanners have software that will enhance the needle to make it easier to see when injecting.
Lets us help choose the best scanner
At JnJ Ltd we have years of experience in helping clients to choose the most suitable ultrasound scanner taking into account budget and needs. The scanner you think is the best might not always be for what you are planning to scan, or a cheaper alternative might be as good or even better. Manufacturers will try to push you their scanners even if they are not the best or offer you features that you don’t need. Their maintenance costs can also be ridiculously expensive. Please get in contact, and we can help you get the best value for your needs.