Q:I am curious to find out about the recent ICE conference (imaging conference) held in Las Vegas. Did anybody go?
A: I did go! It was great! Clinical leaders and technology leaders collaborating on behalf of the patients we serve. The mutual respect among the attendees was palpable. The educational sessions were well done and the level of discussion the presentations fostered between attendees will yield operational improvements for my program from the “nuggets” that I took away from the conference. The “fun” events that MD Publishing planned for this conference were amazing for the camaraderie among the professionals. The free exchange of information was in a venue that is comfortable and facilitates team building between disparate groups, such as the HTM professionals, the clinical professionals and the vendors, who attend this event.
A: I did not go and I am regretting it!
Q: Does anyone have a good method or know of a vendor who can repair cosmetic damage to a Philips Integris tabletop? I have several with superficial damage to the gel coat where the underlying carbon fiber is showing and it is going to just collect grunge. It also could give someone a splinter. The rooms are way too old to spend money on a new tabletop and I do not feel the mechanical integrity of the top is at risk so I need a way to get it smooth and cleanable again without spending an arm and a leg. It would be nice if the repair was similar in color to the original material but even that is not a necessity.
A:Is the damage to the table in the typical field-of-view (FOV) for the cases performed in the room? Does the damage involve any structural components of the table? If the damage is on the edges of the table, why not repair the table on your own with the appropriate supplies and process. Here is a video that could be helpful www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rTWaV1imzs.
If the damage is very superficial, perhaps just a coating of new resin is all you need.
The only challenge with repairing the table is the potential for changing the image quality, if the damage you are repairing is in the FOV, and/or if the damage has impacted structural components of the architecture of the table. Absent damage in the FOV or damage to structural components, repairing the table yourself is a fairly benign process.
A: Contact a local boat repair place (they will generally do the best fiberglass/carbon fiber work.) Ask for a sample of their gel coat, and test it’s radiolucency back in the hospital. If it looks good, you can get it fixed for a fraction of the cost of replacement.
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