At first glance, all of the GE Ultrasound Back-End Processors (BEPs) look identical from the front. This can be very misleading if you are not familiar with these items. The best practice is to always check the part number on the case of the BEP. This can be found by removing the left side cover from the machine.
Back End Processor 4.x have part numbers that that begin with 5162777-x and end with 3,4,7 and 8. These can produce some confusing results if a few important key factors are not considered. For example the BEPs ending in 3 and 4 cannot be replaced with a BEP that ends in 7 or 8.
The main issue is that the touch screens are not compatible across these BEPs. The BEP part number 5162777-3 and -4 are used with a specific touch screen part number (2404652-103). If a different BEP part number was installed into the machine and it has this touch screen, there will be no video displayed on the touch screen.
The software that is used on these BEPs is compatible across all of the BEP4 part numbers. This includes the base image software and the application software. Even though the hardware is slightly different, the base installs the required drivers to run that specific BEP4.
And, remember to always make a backup and print out all your system information and user presets, which can be used to restore the system to a familiar working state. Never reload software on an existing system’s hard drive. Chances are, whatever pre-existing issues that caused a system to not work properly may be originating from the hard drive. Using a fresh new hard drive can be preventative in terms of downtime and loss of business.
If after reading this article, there is still confusion, don’t hesitate to contact Conquest Imaging’s Technical Support.
To view our Technical Support Videos, visit www.conquestimaging.com. You can reach Conquest Imaging’s Technical Support 24/7/365 at 866-900-9404.
Fernando Candelario is a medical equipment technician at Conquest Imaging.