It is common knowledge that we recommend that every practice, no matter how big or small, should have an ultrasound machine. The question that many veterinarians ask is whether or not they should purchase a used ultrasound machine from the human side. The answer – it all depends.
The clear benefit of a used ultrasound machine is the price. Some are even given away from human hospitals as they upgrade their equipment. Unfortunately, most (if not all) used ultrasound machines coming from the human side will require you to spend money making the machine useable. To determine if a used ultrasound machine is right for you, you will need to determine how much you will have to spend making the machine useable vs. buying a new machine.
6 Pitfalls of purchasing a used ultrasound machine:
- The probes sold with the ultrasound machine are not appropriate for your practice: Scanning a cat is very different than scanning a 300lb pregnant lady. You will need different frequency probes than are sold with most machines coming from a human hospital. Veterinary appropriate probes generally have a small footprint and a higher frequency than used in a human hospital. Unfortunately, purchasing probes for older machines can be an expensive endeavor. Be sure you have a probe selection that is appropriate for your situation.
- The machine is not configured for veterinary scanning: If a machine is configured for a very contrasty image and depth of 15 CM (as is common in ob/gyn scanning) it may be extremely difficult getting the machine configured for veterinary scanning. Sometimes, this will require a visit from a company application specialist as you will need to go to the “deep” settings menu. Reconfiguring a machine and creating scanning protocols is different for every machine and is different than adjusting the contrast or frequency that is covered in basic ultrasound scanning courses (or residencies). The application specialist visit is not free. Budget for it.
- Bigger is not always better: In general, older ultrasound machines are larger and more cumbersome to use than newer ultrasound machines. In the case of ultrasound, bigger is not always better. A small machine is easy to store and use. Weigh the benefit of spending less money vs. the difficulty of storing an using an old ultrasound clunker.
- The image quality of older machines is not always acceptable: Times change and equipment improves. I would not scan on the machine that I thought was wonderful during my residency. Even if your machine came out of a human hospital or outpatient center, that does not mean that the image quality is acceptable for your practice. They are getting rid of it for a reason.
- Not all machines are appropriate for general veterinary use: There are a number of cardiac only machines in human hospitals that are entirely inappropriate to use for veterinary abdominal scanning. These single purpose machines cannot be made to scan an abdomen. Similarly, it is very easy for a machine to obtain good OB-GYN images as there is a lot of contrast in a fluid filled abdomen. It is another thing to ask that machine to scan a Rottweiler abdomen. Be sure that the machine you are buying is appropriate for your application.
- Service can be tough: Some older machines cannot be serviced. You may not be able to find probes or parts for them if they break. Before you buy a used machine online from a company 3 states away from you, consider who is going to fix your machine and if parts are even available if it breaks.
Conclusion
Buying a used ultrasound machine can be a great way to save money but before you spend that money you need to determine if the machine is appropriate for a veterinary application, if you have appropriate probe selection, if the machine is configured properly, if the technology is outdated, and where and how you are going to get the machine serviced.
In many cases, veterinarians find that buying a used machine is not worth the time and hassle vs. buying a new machine or a refurbished machine from a dedicated veterinary ultrasound company
