MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine is an essential hospital equipment. It is an imaging device just like the CT scan and X-ray. Unlike the X-ray that uses radiation, an MRI machine uses magnetic waves to scan various body organs. It produces images that a doctor can read and tell whether there is a sickness or not. It is safe to do MRI scans unless you have metal inserts in your body. The scan is pain-free and does not damage your body tissues. When it comes to acquiring this equipment, the question most people ask is this: how much does an MRI machine cost? Many factors will affect the price of MRI equipment. Some of these include:
· Year of manufacture
· Slew rate
· Gradient strength
· Field strength
· Type of equipment
Which is the best MRI equipment? – How to decide
If you are searching for an MRI machine for your clinic, you should be guided by your finances. As the machines are available at different price ranges, it is mainly your budget that will be a determining factor. Thus, you should identify the machines you can afford and then use other parameters to select the right one for your clinic. These parameters are:
- The type of scans you commonly do at your clinic
- A special health service you are intending to introduce and will require an MRI machine
- MRI machines are big and require a separate room as they produce strong magnetic fields that can affect other metallic devices nearby. You may have to incur a slightly high cost to prepare this room.
- The number of MRI cases you are likely to get in a week, month, and so on. You want to estimate the time it would take to recover your money.
- How much does your competitors charge per MRI scan?
What’s affects the average cost?
An MRI scanner is a costly machine, explaining why you have to pay more for a single scan. Depending on the kind you want to buy, you can pay between $150,000 and $1,200,000 on average. If you decide to purchase upscale MRI equipment, you might end up paying $3,000,000. As you can see, there is a wide range of MRI machines to match everyone’s financial ability and needs.
What affects the average prices of an MRI scanner is its current state. If it is used, the price can be up to 50% less than that of a new machine. If it is a new machine, the price will be high or very high depending on the selected brand and the features you are searching for. Another thing that can affect the average cost is the type and size of the machine.
Remember the larger it is the more money it is likely to cost because of another unseen cost of room preparation and maintenance cost. Speaking of maintenance, it can be hefty depending on the kind of MRI scanning system you own. If you have a closed MRI system, then you should account for a maintenance cost of about $10,000 every month. If you are dealing with an open MRI device, or a cheaper one, the maintenance fee may begin at around $2000 each month.
What to consider based on the type
Open MRI equipment range
If you get the low-field MRI equipment, including 0.2T, 0.3T, and 0.4T, you will pay much less. These are open MRI (also called open bore MRIs) machines and they produce slightly lower quality images and take longer to produce images. These are best for scanning big people or those who are naturally nervous. As you can see, they range from 0.2T to 0.4T. The prices differ, the lowest price being that of 0.2T.
These are further divided into machines for scanning the extremities only and these are cheaper ($35,662.5 to$95,099.9). Then there are devices for conducting full-body scans and they are priced between $95,099.9 and $142,650. Needless to say, 0.3T and 0.4T machines are even more expensive than the 0.2T ones. In fact, without $237,750 to $356,625 you cannot get new ones.
Closed MRI scanners
These are 1.5T MRIs and are considered high-field systems. They have higher Tesla strengths and powerful magnetic fields. They can produce high-quality images of your stomach and chest. As a result, 1.5MRIs are more expensive than open ones. Since they are closed, some people might fear being scanned inside of them. These are mainly sold based on the Year of Manufacture and type. Those made more than a decade ago can cost between $178,312 and $297,187. Some can be more expensive, costing up to $356,625.
3T MRI equipmentThese are the most powerful machines you can find. They are two times stronger than the closed MRI scanners. Thus, they are the most expensive on the market. They generally cost about $237,750 if they were made before the year 2006. If you are looking for the newest machines, plan to pay $475,499 to $594,374.
Are you still asking how much does an MRI machine cost? We hope not, as this guide includes average costs you can expect to pay. The best place to get the best equipment is at Amber Diagnostics. Amber Diagnostics cares about your business and aims to help you take care of as many patients as possible. They have a powerful guide to read, used and new MRI machines, and a cost estimation calculator.