But why stick with a CR option? Fabrizio says many radiologists continue to rely on CR units because of how much abuse portables take. In addition, a DR panel tends to be heavier and more fragile than a cassette, making it a casualty with a hefty price tag. “In the portable environment, you really need something rugged,” says Fabrizio. “It’s the device in the hospital that gets the most abuse for the radiology department.”

End-users can also save as much as $20,000 to $40,000 by purchasing a portable CR X-ray system as opposed to DR, says Fabrizio, and an upgrade via a kit may not be worth it either. The price of upgrading an older portable to DR – with a little or a lot of life left – can come close to the price of a brand new CR portable, he says.


Should you stay or should you go?
As wireless DR systems are added to expanding product lines, end-users will have a lot of choices. Advocates of portable DR X-ray systems say with the elimination of cassettes, technologists won’t have to worry about mixing up or lugging several cassettes across the hospital. End-users will also see improvements in workflow and productivity.

On the other hand, fans of CR portable X-ray units say digital detectors are too fragile for the rugged and fast-paced life of a portable X-ray unit and a cassette that’s dropped or damaged is fairly easy and cheap to replace.

The final say lies with the end-users – and for many facilities, time is on their side. Depending on the frequency of use and maintenance, vendors estimate that a useful life of a portable X-ray unit can range anywhere between 10 and 15 years.

“[Portable X-rays] are very heavily used pieces of equipment,” says GE’s Widmann. “Customers continue first and foremost, even before digital, to demand durability, reliability and ease of use. Those trends have not changed and we don’t expect them to change in this space.”

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DOTmed Registered Portable X-ray Sales & Service Companies
Names in boldface are Premium Listings.

Domestic
Doug Anderson, DGA Medical, LLC, AZ
Stephanie Espinola, JCF Engineering,Inc., CO
Rob Fabrizio, Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, CT
Robert Serros, Amber Diagnostics, FL
DM 100
Ralph Frizzle, GECO, FL
Moshe Alkalay, Hi Tech Int'l Group, FL
DOTmed certified
David Denholtz, Integrity Medical Systems, Inc., FL
DOTmed certified
DM 100
Mary Fowler, Espie Service Group, GA
DOTmed certified
Jim Banas, Maui Medical Supplies, LLC, IL
Paul Gossman, Strene Medical Equipment, IL
Mark Ardoin, Omni Imaging Service, LA
Wayne Horsman, Columbia Imaging Inc, MD
DM 100
Davyn McGuire, Med Exchange International, Inc., MA
DOTmed certified
Chris Sharrock, Block Imaging International, Inc., MI
Bob Burbury, Minxrad, MI
DOTmed certified
Alison Fortin, Global Inventory Management LLC, NH
DOTmed certified
Kimberly Sorensen, Quality Medical Sales & Rentals, NV
Eileen Heizyk, Carestream Health, NY
Steven Merced, Eastern Portable X-Ray, NY
Ron Viola, First Source Inc., NY
Leon Gugel, Metropolis International, NY
DOTmed certified
Robert Patsy, Alpha Imaging, Inc., OH
Tony Smith, Classic Diagnostic Imaging, OH
DM 100
Maurice Dilick, J&M Trading, Inc., TN
Joseph A. Nelsen, JOJ-XRS, TX
DOTmed certified
Gerald Pierce, Rio Imaging Services LLC, TX
Jon Jacobson, Core Medical Imaging, Inc., WA
David Widmann, GE Healthcare, WI

International
Nirvikar Yadav, Everx Pty Ltd, Australia
Arvinder Bharaj, Eco Tech, Canada
Moshe Atia, M.Atia X ray Services LTD, Israel
Efzan Robert Malique, VCResources, Malaysia
Jorge Franco, ajmedical, Mexico
Ikram Baig, Amarant Medical Technologies, Pakistan
Imad Muati, IMC, Syria



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