Articles and Insights

What Everybody Ought to Know About Buying a Used OEC C-arm

GE OEC’s C-arms are the most popular brand of C-arms on the market today. According to GE, 7 out of 10 surgeons have refurbished or new OEC C-arms. That’s right, a 70% market share for one product category. Incredible! These things must be good.

Well they are, according to our customers. We get more requests for refurbished or used OEC C-arms than any other brand of C-arm.

Here is what you need to know about OEC C-arms before making your next purchase.

The OEC 9400, 9600, 9800 and 9900 are the most requested models, largely due to the age of manufacture and available software options.

• OEC 9400 – manufactured between 1990 and 1994
• OEC 9600 – manufactured between 1994 and 1998
• OEC 9800 – manufactured between 2000 to 2006
• OEC 9900 – manufactured between 2006 and is still currently in production

This means that if you want a unit that has a manufacture date of 2006 or newer your only option is to go with the 9900 C-arm.

Software and Hardware

The General Surgical Package (GSP) is now a base model benchmark for all units. However, the OEC 9400 does not include a keyboard for patient annotation while its standard on all 9600’s, 9800’s and 9900’s.

The OEC 9600 has new steering, which allows for increased mobility, a standard feature on the OEC 9800.

Aesthetically, the body style has changed significantly between the OEC 9400 and the 9600 and has undergone slight changes – the monitor cart now hosts flat panel monitors on the 9900 – but the footprint has not changed significantly since the 9600.

As far as software options go, the OEC 9600 has GSP, ESP, Vascular and Cardiac capability. The 9800 and 9900 have GSP, ESP, Vascular, PM Care, Neurovascular and Cardiac capability.

The OEC 9400 is nearly obsolete because of parts availability and its inability to perform at the same level as newer models. It does not produce as high quality of an image due to its tube camera technology versus the higher resolution CCD camera that is used on the 9600 and newer models. The OEC 9600 is nearing the end of its useful life cycle, and is often sold to customers seeking an inexpensive “workhorse machine.”

What’s this going to cost me?

Great question. Although we can’t provide you an exact quote, unless you want one of course, what we can tell you is the range of pricing for refurbished OEC C-arms that we have recently sold.

With a warranty, an OEC 9400 will set you back about $15,000 to $20,000. The cost of an OEC 9600 is roughly half that of the OEC 9800. A 9600 with warranty is in the low $30,000 range. The OEC 9800 is in the range of $60,000 to $70,000. OEC 9900’s start in the low $100,000s. There is still a high demand and limited supply on the market of OEC 9900’s so we do not expect the price to decrease anytime soon. As with all GE products, OEC’s hold their value much longer than units produced by competitive manufacturers.

Should I buy used or refurbished?

Simply slapping some paint on used equipment will not make it “refurbished.” In order for a unit to be considered “refurbished”, it has to go through a detailed process. It is cleaned, disinfected, taken apart… with many of the internal components tested and replaced if needed. It is completely and professionally repainted and given a full diagnostic test before its shipped to you, and often with a warranty.

Some customers are willing to take the risk on a used, non-refurbished machine. We advise against this since the unit functionality cannot be guaranteed. The last thing you want is a money pit in your surgical suite. At the end of the day, you can also purchase a warranty, which will cover such unplanned expenses so that you aren’t out of pocket.

Final Thoughts

Do your research! Make sure the company you are buying from has a clean track record of delivering quality products and service. You will also want to make sure that the company you hire has a service engineer local to you. No one wants down time.

Check out our inventory of available used and refurbished OEC C-arms.

Evan Tully

As a client manager at Radiology Oncology Systems (ROS), Evan is responsible for providing quality, cost-effective, refurbished equipment solutions to clients worldwide. Evan’s focus is on diagnostic imaging systems, including MRI Scanners, CT Scanners, PET/CT Systems and other imaging systems. Evan and his team may be reached at Info@OncologySystems.com.