By Ted Lucidi, CBET
In today’s economy, every dollar saved helps keep service budgets in the black and health care costs a little bit lower. But is there a cost with trying to save too much? We’ve all heard the saying, “Pay me now, or pay me later.” It couldn’t be more true with all of the choices available to HTM teams today. Looking at search results for “MRI coil repair,” the interwebs and Googles show over 100 choices.
What qualifies a service organization to be YOUR choice today, tomorrow and moving forward? Is it price? Is it that they have a loaner? Is it that they have 1-day turn-around? Is it an overnight exchange from their warehouse? There’s a lot of criteria. Maybe the correct answer really should be, “It depends on the timing of the next failure.”A single failed MRI coil could cost a facility tens-of-thousands of dollars per day in lost revenue. What are the costs associated with a “good enough” repair solution? Low-cost repairs, overly fast turn-around times (quick fixes), or unqualified loaners/exchanges actually have the potential to significantly increase your service costs. Some items that many fail to consider are the intangible costs … costs associated with additional downtime due to a rushed or incomplete repair or a failed loaner or exchange. Additional shipping and travel to/from a remote site just add to the headache. Decreased customer satisfaction and poor patient reviews due to rescheduled scans don’t help either. The few hundred dollars saved by choosing “good enough,” might just cost the facility 10-times that amount. I think the statement above is better stated, “Pay me now, AND pay me later.”The following are six key questions to ask about MRI coil repair processes to help you make wise, informed decisions that you, your team and your patients can live with.
Question 1: Are system cables replaced or are they spliced? Replacing costs more, however; the longevity of the repair and life extension of the coil more than compensate for the extra money and help to lower the overall cost of ownership. Spliced cables can fail more often as they can separate over time, meaning more frequent repairs, more down time and potentially more performance issues. Sustainable processes, such as those at Innovatus, replace ALL of the individual wires in the system cable as well as the cable sheathing versus splicing single wires. The results are a higher first-time fix rate, decreased warranties and continued workflow.
Question 2: What testing methods are used, and how is product performance assessed? What is the process to find potentially hidden or intermittent electrical problems? Do you know? Once an MRI coil’s design is approved and the product is released to market, there’s no need for each one to be clinically tested on a scanner. Coils on the production line are modularly tested using custom test fixtures designed by R&D engineers. Innovatus takes this same approach for assessing coil performance before, during and post-repair. Modular testing methods break down the coil’s system and tests each section to the component level assuring the whole system is functioning optimally. Contrast that to the “good enough” solutions that, oftentimes, utilizes simplistic, point-of-failure testing. Single point-of-failure testing often fails to identify additional, underlying problems affecting coil performance and could potentially result in an incomplete repair.
Question 3: What mechanical repair capabilities does the provider possess? Is the provider able to restore OEM-like form and fit? Many coil designs are heavy and awkward, and many are on the receiving end of accidental trauma. You may be surprised to know that many of the coils received at Innovatus arrive fractured, arrive with missing or broken parts or, sometimes, arrive in multiple pieces. Having the ability to either source or fabricate qualified replacement parts is the difference between repairing a coil and replacing it. Rest easy, our team of mechanical wizards is able to restore your coil to the condition you expect.
Question 4: What is the source of mechanical parts used in a repair? Are they sourced from soft molding, are they machined or are they 3D printed? While 3D printing can increase speed and accessibility, the results of this method may not last as long as molding or machining. It’s critical to know how your provider not only sources replacement parts, but if they are and how they are qualified for use in your product. The form, fit and function of replacement parts can directly affect the longevity, cost of ownership, performance and future downtime associated with your device.
Question 5: What steps are taken to provide a new repair solution? Does the provider merely try to get a newly encountered device working again, or is there a methodical approach to offering new repairs? Innovatus will not “try” to repair a product. Each and every MRI coil repaired is backed-up by full schematics, bills-of-materials and verified test procedures by coil make and model. Technicians use visual work instructions and still hand-write test results for each repair. The results of every repair are captured in the quality system and are maintained in the device’s history file.
Question 6: What qualifies a provider to repair YOUR product? What experience, research and processes are behind the repair? This is perhaps the biggest difference in repair providers. Do the technicians, engineers and staff have decades of experience versus basic skills? What testing processes, protocols and test devices are used for quality assurance regarding the repair? With a legacy in MRI coil manufacturing, Innovatus possesses the detailed knowledge base, engineering skills and mature ISO 13458:2016 certified quality system that uniquely qualifies them to not only repair but restore your coil’s performance.
If the price seems low, or if the turn-around time seems really fast, you may just want to do some digging. There is a cost to “good enough.” Surprisingly, the price of quality solutions isn’t much more than you think.
Ted Lucidi, CBET, is the director of commercial operations and business analytics at Innovatus Imaging.
