Researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Facebook AI team wanted to find out whether MRI scans generated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) were comparable to the traditional MRI scans which are currently used in clinics, the study results have been published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. The MRI scans using AI are called fastMRI scans. For the fastMRI, the researchers developed a neural network that was trained using data from previous knee MRI scans.

In the study, a total of 108 patients had MRI scans done on their knees. Then radiologists were given the task to review the MRI scans created with AI and the traditional MRI machine. It was found that there were no substantial differences between the two different methods, and the radiologists were able to arrive at the same conclusion regarding the diagnosis regardless of the method used. Furthermore, the radiologists found that the fastMRI images were of superior quality to the conventional MRI images. Also, the fastMRI does not require as much data as traditional methods, and so the imaging time is faster! The researchers suggest that the imaging times for knees could be less than 10 minutes in the future if AI technology is used.  

"We are highly encouraged by these results," says Daniel K. Sodickson, MD, PhD, Vice Chair for Research in Radiology and director of the Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research at NYULH. "We also encourage others to use the fastMRI data and open-source code to build upon our findings.  Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of medical imaging, using AI not merely to replicate tasks performed by humans, but to generate entirely new capabilities – like ultrafast MRI – that enhance the care of patients."  

Go to https://fastmri.org to learn more.

Image reference Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

A new device may be entering the market soon. The device called SugarBEAT may help to manage blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a severe disease characterized by high blood glucose levels for an extended time. Glucose is a very important sugar; it is used by the human body as the main source of energy to drive biological processes. We can get glucose from foods that are filled with high amounts of carbohydrates. When blood glucose levels get too high, a hormone called insulin is released from the pancreas. Insulin reduces blood glucose levels by converting glucose into other useful products. Diabetes happens when the body is deficient in insulin and so the blood glucose levels are not controlled properly.

The prevalence of diabetes is quite high, approximately 463 million adults around the world had diabetes in 2019 and 90% of these were individuals with type 2 diabetes according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and these numbers are expected to substantially rise in the coming years. Apart from having a high prevalence, diabetes is also one of the top causes of death. In 2019, it was estimated that 4.2 million adults died due to diabetes or its associated complications, making diabetes one of the biggest killers around the world.

The symptoms of diabetes are:

• Increased hunger
• Enhanced thirst
• Frequent urination
• Weight loss
• Blurry vision
• Wounds that take longer to heal

Diabetes can be divided into 4 groups: gestational diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other rare types. Prediabetes is when your blood glucose levels are way higher than the normal levels but are not in the diabetes range just yet. Individuals with prediabetes are very likely to develop diabetes if they do not improve their lifestyle.

Type 1 diabetes is more common in children; it happens when there is an immune attack on the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin, causing these insulin-producing cells to become damaged. This leads to an insulin deficiency and so there isn’t enough insulin to get rid of the glucose in the blood and so the blood glucose levels continually rise.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults and usually happens in obese people. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance. This means that the body is no longer sensitive to insulin anymore and so glucose accumulates in the blood. According to researchers, type 2 diabetes can be prevented by reducing weight, exercising, and having a nutritional diet.

During pregnancy, some women may experience raised blood glucose levels, this condition is called gestational diabetes and it only happens in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance; this is because pregnancy hormones disrupt insulin signaling. After delivering the baby, gestational diabetes usually improves or the condition might end completely.

There are also rare types of diabetes; one is called type 3c diabetes. Type 3c diabetes arises when individuals have a health condition that damages the pancreas like pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis. This causes the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas to become damaged resulting in type 3c diabetes.

What Increases Your Risk of Diabetes?

There are many factors that can increase your risk of developing diabetes. Here are some of them:

• Age – The risk of diabetes increases with age. However, there are differences in ages due to ethnicity. 
• Ethnicity – Ethnic groups such as South Asians or Black Africans are 2-4 times more likely to develop diabetes.
• Blood Pressure – Individuals with high blood pressure are more susceptible.
• Weight - Obese patients are at an increased risk.
• Family history – If someone in your family (siblings, parents, etc.) has diabetes, you are more likely to get diabetes too.

How is Diabetes Diagnosed?

As we already know, diabetes is characterized by high glucose levels. So clinicians base their diagnosis on the high levels of glucose in your blood. There are different ways that the blood glucose levels can be tested; there is fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, the glucose tolerance test, and more.

For the random glucose blood test, the blood glucose levels are measured at any time during the day. For this test, you do not need to fast or have a sugary drink prior to the test.

The fasting glucose blood test is when the patient has a blood test after fasting for 8 to 10 hours. This helps to determine how well the body manages the blood glucose levels without food. High glucose levels after fasting for several hours can be indicative of diabetes because the body is not able to efficiently remove glucose from the blood for a prolonged period.

There is also the glycated hemoglobin test. Individuals with diabetes have high levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) this is because the excess sugar clings onto the red blood cells. This test is able to show the patient’s glucose control for the last few months, as the red blood cells can survive for approximately 2-3 months.   

In the glucose tolerance test, the patient fasts 8 to 10 hours and then a fasting blood test is taken. Then the patient is given a sugary drink containing 75g glucose and then blood samples are taken again after 2 hours to determine the body’s ability to remove glucose from the blood.

Non-diabetic patients will have

• Fasting blood glucose levels usually less than 6.1mmol/L
• Two-hour glucose levels are less than 7.8mmol/L
• Random glucose levels are less than 11.1mmol/L.
• HbA1c is less than 42mmol/mol.

Clinicians will diagnose you with diabetes if your

• Fasting blood glucose levels are more than 7 mmol/L
• The two-hour glucose levels are more than 11.1mmol/L
• Random glucose levels are in excess of 11.1mmol/L
• HbA1c is in excess of 48mmol/mol

How is Diabetes Treated?

Diabetes is mainly treated by controlling blood glucose levels. Diabetes patients have to keep track of their blood glucose levels at home every day to make sure it is within the normal range.

Type 2 diabetes can be managed with diet, weight loss, diabetes medications, and exercise. Whilst these things may have some benefits to individuals with type 1 diabetes, diabetes medications are mainly used to manage type 1 diabetes.   

Individuals with diabetes should try to incorporate a healthy diet that is filled with nutritional foods and low in the “bad fats” into their routines. High fiber foods, fish, and carbs that have a low glycemic index should be included in the eating plan. Some starchy foods like rice, white bread, potatoes, etc. will increase blood glucose levels rapidly because they have a high glycemic index. This is not useful when you are trying to control your blood sugar levels. Alternatively, to control your blood glucose levels, you could try starchy foods with a lower glycemic index like wholegrain bread, brown rice, and much more. A detailed healthy-eating plan for people with diabetes can be found at the Mayo Clinic.  

Individuals with type 2 diabetes may benefit from losing weight, as obesity is a high-risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. In a study, obese individuals were 80 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than those with a healthier BMI. Therefore, losing weight could help to manage your diabetes.  

Exercise is very beneficial for diabetes patients too; it can help insulin be used more efficiently, can help to lower blood pressure, and reduces the build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels, and for type 2 diabetes patients, exercise can help to improve the HbA1c levels. Diabetes patients can stay active by doing household chores, gardening, walking, cycling, swimming, and much more. 

Diabetes patients are often treated with medications that contain insulin or compounds that induce insulin production so that blood glucose levels can be managed within the normal threshold. Type 1 diabetes patients are usually treated with insulin using either insulin injections or an insulin pump. Type 2 diabetes patients are often given a drug called metformin as the first-line treatment to manage their blood sugar levels. However, there are many other medications used to manage type 2 diabetes too, there are sulfonylureas that can activate the pancreas to make more insulin or medicines like acarbose that reduce the absorption of glucose in the gut. Alternatively, you may even be given weight loss medication to treat your diabetes.

Why Is It So Important to Keep Track of Your Glucose Levels?

In some cases, diabetes can’t be effectively controlled and so the blood glucose levels will be all over the place, blood glucose levels that are extremely high or low are lethal and associated with severe complications.

Hypoglycemia is when you have really low blood glucose levels that are around 3.0 mmol/L, if your blood glucose levels are around 3.0 mmol/L, you need immediate help.  If you have untreated hypoglycemia, you may experience loss of consciousness, seizures, or death. On the flip side, hyperglycemia is when you have really high blood glucose levels around 22.2 mmol/L, hyperglycemia is dangerous because it can induce a diabetic coma or even result in death.

The other complications of diabetes can include a heart attack, stroke, loss of eyesight, kidney failure, and amputation of the lower limbs. Therefore, it is vital to manage your diabetes as there are severe complications of not doing so. All of these complications sound very scary but do not worry; small lifestyle changes and diabetes medications can make a big difference to your overall wellbeing and health. Plus there are many devices that are currently under development that may help to manage your diabetes in the future.

The SugarBEAT device

Nemaura Medical has developed a novel device that can be used to manage diabetes. The device goes by the name of “sugarBEAT”; it is a non-invasive adhesive patch that can be attached to your arm. The patch measures your glucose levels every five minutes throughout the day, then this information is sent to the BEATdiabetes phone app, so diabetes patients can easily track their glucose levels throughout the day. Furthermore, important information about lifestyle factors such as exercise levels, mood, diabetes drugs being used, and dietary intake can be added into the phone app. This is very useful as it can help to discover trends that impact your glucose levels. The sugarBEAT will equip you with the knowledge to improve your glucose levels and have better control over your diabetes.

The SugarBEAT device has already gotten CE approval; Nemaura Medical is currently awaiting FDA approval. Nemaura Medical expects that the sugarBEAT device will be available across the United Kingdom and Ireland soon.

References

https://www.diabetes.org.uk

Image Reference PhotoMIX-Company Pixabay

A C-arm is a medical device used to take images based on x-rays. The C-arm consists of the x-ray source and an x-ray detector (either a flat panel detector or an image intensifier). The device is called a C-arm because the x-ray source and the x-ray detector are joined together with an arm that is shaped like a “C”. The C-arm can be used for procedures in orthopedics, heart, pain management, general procedures, and much more. However, the C-arm specification will be a bit different depending on which procedure is being conducted.

So how does the C-arm take an image?

The x-rays generated by the x-ray source penetrate the patient’s tissues, and then the x-ray detector transforms these x-rays to build an image that the physicians can view on the display monitor. The C-arm comes with an independent C-arm table, even though these items are separate, the C-arm and the C-arm table system is combined electronically and so the technician should be able to operate the system with ease. Furthermore, the C-arm can be easily rotated around the patient to get the most optimum imaging angles, and there won’t be any unwanted movements because the C-arm comes with a locking mechanism.

The C-arm is a non-invasive medical tool that can create comprehensive images and even more importantly, images are made in real-time so anatomical structures can be visualized throughout the surgery. For instance, the C-arm can help physicians make sure that catheters/needles are being positioned in the correct region of the body without damaging neighboring tissues. 

The x-ray dosage given to the patient is strictly controlled by the C-arm with the use of the automated collimator. The collimator works by focusing the x-ray beams to the target region, the x-ray beams that go in a different direction will be filtered, and this ensures that minimal x-rays are reaching the patient and technician.

So then what is a mobile C-arm?

The fixed C-arm is a stationary piece of equipment placed in a dedicated room; the room is usually quite large! Whereas, the mobile C-arm has wheels and so it can be moved anywhere in the hospital and can be used in much smaller places because it doesn’t take up that much space. Therefore, the mobile C-arm is a versatile piece of equipment that can be moved to wherever it is needed in a hospital. This also means that a hospital room does not have to be dedicated to the C-arm specifically.

Mobile C-arms generate enough imaging power for nearly all procedures; however, the mobile C-arm may not be well suited for procedures such as angiography and other cardiac procedures that require a high imaging power for a prolonged period. In that case, the fixed C-arm would usually be used instead due to its ability to sustain a high imaging power for a long time.

On the 14th of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that there are severe shortages of medical supplies due to COVID-19. Everyone should be able to access medical supplies during this pandemic, as these supplies are vital for tackling and controlling the impact of COVID-19. The FDA is trying their best to ensure that medical supplies are accessible at such a crucial time. The FDA made a list publicly available of the limited medical supplies; this list can be found on the FDA website.

At the beginning of the pandemic, many healthcare companies boosted the production of medical equipment as there was a greater need. In March, the healthcare technology company called Philips began to maximize the production of ventilators. The CEO of Royal Philips Frans Van Houten said “There is an unprecedented global demand for medical equipment to help diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19. We are working around the clock to double our hospital ventilator production within the next eight weeks and we are aiming for a four-fold increase by the third quarter.”

Other companies such as GE Healthcare also enhanced manufacturing. The CEO and President of GE Healthcare Kieran Murphy said “GE Healthcare is proud to support customers, governments and the broader healthcare community in the fight against the coronavirus. Our dedicated teams are working around the clock to ensure that our customers and partners on the front lines have the equipment and servicing needed to diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19.”

Even though healthcare companies tried to increase the production of medical equipment, there are still shortages due to the substantial global need. Now moving forward, it is important that the FDA is aware and the public remains informed of the current medical device situation.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was approved and signed on the 27th of March. The CARES Act gives the FDA the power to ensure that medical device supplies are being maintained during this public health emergency. As part of the CARES Act, the medical device manufacturers are now required to alert the FDA if a medical device is discontinued or if there is a disruption in the supply of specific medical devices. The FDA will keep the public informed and aware of the medical items that are currently in limited supply and those that have been discontinued by keeping an up to date list.

The current list contains 20 items that relate to PPE, laboratory testing supplies, and ventilation devices. In the PPE-related items, surgical and examination gowns; latex, polymer, specialty, and vinyl examination gloves (powdered and non-powdered); and surgical respirators are very low in supply. PPE is vital for keeping the frontline workers safe and a lot more PPE is being used these days because of the pandemic. As the COVID-19 testing has been significantly ramped up, there are also shortages in the testing supplies. The stocks of swabs, transport culture medium, and transport and collection equipment for microbiological samples are extremely low. Furthermore, patients with severe cases of COVID-19 have required life support with ventilation devices, and so non-continuous and continuous ventilators are in high use too. The FDA says the shortages are expected to last for the entire duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, the infusion pump system by Becton Dickinson and Company is the only item that has been discontinued. The manufacturers of the items with limited availability will not be disclosed as there are fears that people will begin stockpiling these specific items.

Image Reference (Artur Tumasjan on Unsplash)

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that cancer was responsible for approximately 9.6 million deaths around the world in 2018. Most cancer deaths come from individuals with lung cancer, and this was followed by colorectal cancer and then breast cancer. (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer) The statistics show a great deal about cancer, it is a major cause of death around the world and requires a speedy diagnosis and treatment to improve the survival rates. Cancer treatments can include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.

In the 1990s, Professors Paul Reckwerdt and Thomas Mackie from the University of Wisconsin–Madison began pioneering TomoTherapy. TomoTherapy is a medical system that administers radiation therapy to cancer patients to get rid of the cancer cells and to prevent the spread of cancer to the rest of the body. TomoTherapy Inc was formed in 1997, and in 2002, the first-ever patient was treated with the TomoTherapy prototype, the patient was a lady with bone metastases. TomoTherapy has been in the works for quite a while but has come a long way since the early-stage prototypes.

The TomoTherapy machine has been used over the years to treat various cancers such as head and neck tumors, breast cancer, lung cancer, and much more. This cancer treatment provides very precise doses of radiation to the patient because the TomoTherapy machine is image-guided, the radiation beam can be rotated in a 360-degree fashion around the patient, and the radiation intensity can be changed depending on personal needs.

What Steps Are Involved in the TomoTherapy Treatment?

1. The first step is the planning stage. Before the treatment, the clinician will take 3D images to find out where the tumor is and to determine the size and shape of the tumor. This will help the clinician decide how much radiation will be needed for the treatment later on.
2. The next step is positioning. Just before each TomoTherapy treatment session, a CT scan will be done. This is done to ensure that the right area is being targeted with the radiation, as sometimes the tumor can move and the shape of the tumor may change somewhat throughout the treatment sessions.
3. The final step is radiation therapy.  This is when the radiation is administered; the TomoTherapy machine uses a spiral delivery mechanism meaning that the radiation can be delivered at various angles to target the tumor. 

The Benefits of TomoTherapy

The image-guided system allows clinicians to precisely locate the tumor and a patient-specific treatment plan is made, so the treatment is completely personalized for the patient’s specific requirements.

The advanced precision of the system allows the radiation dose to be targeted towards the tumor specifically and so the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor are less prone to damage by the radiation. This should reduce the side effects the patient experiences.

The TomoTherapy radiation therapy offers a low treatment time, reports have shown that it took on average 15 minutes per patient and the lowest treatment time recorded was for prostate cancer patients at nearly 7 minutes.  (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.7785/tcrt.2012.500374)

The Side Effects of TomoTherapy

As with all radiation therapy, TomoTherapy may also come with side-effects. These side-effects may begin to show two weeks after the first session but the side-effects may vary depending on the individual treatment plan and will most likely be specific to the body part targeted with the radiation. The side effects may include:

• Fatigue and tiredness
• Nausea, vomiting and maybe headaches
• Skin complications such as redness and itchy skin
• Soreness or pain in the treated area

The Possible Complications

Some individuals that use TomoTherapy may experience complications as a result of the treatment. In a study, a small percentage of prostate cancer patients treated with TomoTherapy experienced gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity within five years of being treated. (http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/37/10/5829.full) However, the researchers suggest that TomoTherapy is completely safe and the rates of toxicity are pretty low.

Recent Clinical Studies

Two studies were conducted this year that reported the benefits of using TomoTherapy in advanced stage rectal cancer.

The first study was conducted in Switzerland and was led by Dr. Berardino De Bari. It was found that TomoHelical had low toxicity and was very safe. The patients were called back four years after their treatment with TomoHelical and 74.6% of them were cancer-free.

"The results of our analysis are encouraging because they indicate that patients with advanced rectal cancer may have a better option for effectively treating their disease. Further studies are needed, however, we believe that highly conformal radiation doses delivered with TomoHelical in combination with daily image guidance may become the new standard of care for pre-surgical treatment in patients with advanced rectal cancer,” said Dr. Berardino De Bari, assistant professor and radiation oncologist in the radiation oncology department, CHUV.

In a second study, the clinicians found that the TomoHelical system was able to substantially decrease the tumor size and even more importantly, 70.9% of the patients were cancer-free even five years after the TomoTherapy. Therefore, the TomoHelical system seems as though it is an efficient and safe cancer treatment.

If that wasn’t enough evidence supporting the benefits of TomoTherapy, listen to this. TomoTherapy is a revolutionary innovation for cancer treatment; the initial concept has evolved over the years and now the Radixact® System (a next-gen TomoTherapy system) has been generated. Recently, Accuray Incorporated, the company that develops and manufactures TomoTherapy machines, won the 2020 MedTech Breakthrough award “best overall medical device solution” for the Radixact® System. (https://investors.accuray.com/news-releases/news-release-details/accuray-synchronyr-real-time-adaptive-technology-radixactr) The TomoTherapy systems have been recognized for their success as a cancer treatment which further proves their benefits.

References

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/studies-support-use-of-the-accuray-tomotherapy-system-for-advanced-rectal-cancer-to-improve-treatment-efficacy-and-reduce-side-effects-300999198.html

http://www.jlgh.org/Past-Issues/Volume-4---Issue-3/A-New-Tool-to-Help-Fight-Cancer.aspx#4

https://www.sprmn.pt/pdf/pmb6_13_r24_History_of_Thomotherapy_(TRMackie).pdf

A single hospital will have hundreds if not thousands of pieces of equipment that is being used every day. Most equipment in a hospital will be used for 5 to 10 years before it is replaced by newer pieces. So, what should you do with the equipment you are replacing? In most cases, that equipment has significant value in the used market. Refurbishers, resellers, and even other hospitals and clinics are interested in purchasing your used equipment.

So, what are the best options for you to sell and have your used equipment removed from your hospital? This article is intended to provide you with a simple outline of the options available to you and the pros and cons to each option.

 

1. List it Yourself: Some organizations have their own Asset Recovery Team that centralizes all the used equipment, photographs it, and creates their own listings on online medical auction sites like Mazree.com.

Advantages: This approach has lowest commission fees enabling you to retain as much of the value as possible.

Disadvantages: You need to have the resources, space, and logistics to support the internal operation of pickup from the facilities, photographing, listing, storing, and coordinating with buyers for pickup.

Best For: This is best for organizations that have the resources and infrastructure (space and courier) to support this. It is usually exceedingly difficult to do this if your health system has several facilities spread across several states.

 

2. Get it Listed for You: Another option is to just keep the items at the hospital and provide pictures and info to a team like Mazree to list.

Advantages: This is a lower commission rate and you do not have to deal with any of the logistical costs of courier or a warehouse.

Disadvantages: You will need to have a resource that can take the pictures and provide the information to a listing team. You will also need some storage space at your facility to hold the item and will need to coordinate pickup with the buyer.

Best For: This is best for hospitals that have available resources to do some of the work and some open storage space at their hospital.

 

3. Trade-In: You are replacing an older unit with a new unit and the manufacturer offers you a trade-in. This is a quite common option that most hospitals utilize for their valuable but retired medical equipment.

Advantages: This does not require much effort on your part. The manufacturer takes care of everything.

Disadvantages: A trade-in is usually significantly less than what it can be sold for in the used market. It is important to note that trade-in’s often disguise the discount you have negotiated on the new piece of equipment. It is common for manufacturers to bury their discounts in the trade-in to hide from the market the discounts they are providing on the new equipment. We have some suggestions below to help uncover your true trade-in value.

Best For: A trade-in is only best if you are getting a great trade-in offer. If you are considering doing a trade-in here are some helpful steps to know if you are getting a great offer:

1. Quote #1: Ask for a quote without the trade-in first. Do not infer that you will ask for a second quote with the trade-in included.
2. Quote #2: Once you receive the first quote and know that number, ask for a second quote with the trade-in offer. Now you should have a better idea of what they are really giving you in a trade-in versus a discount on the new equipment.
3. List to Auction: Now you will want to list the equipment to an auction site like Mazree and set your Reserve Price to at least your trade-in value plus any commission fees. The winning buyer will be responsible for deinstallation and removal at their cost. Auctions can move quickly, so you generally will only need to run it for a couple of weeks. If you get bids above your Reserve Price, then you now have a better offer than your trade-in. If not, then take the trade-in offer.

It is not uncommon for a high bid at an auction to be more than double the trade-in offer. It is also important to note that the buyers bidding on the auction are often the same groups that are hired by the manufacturer to deinstall and remove a trade-in. So, you are generally not getting more experienced personnel for removal whether you go the trade-in or the auction route.

 

4. Full Service: Another common option for selling used medical equipment is to have a company do everything for you – from pickup at the hospital, to warehousing, listing, and sale.

Advantages: There is little (if any) cash outlay for this. You do not need to hire resources for the program, rent warehouse space, or pay couriers for logistics. You also do not need to interact and coordinate pickup with buyers. A company like Mazree can do it all for you. Another advantage is that you will not be filling up rooms and storage closets in your hospital. Your asset disposition provider will come on a regular basis and pick up everything so you can keep your limited space free for other needs.

Disadvantages: Fees for this type of service are the most expensive since the company is doing everything. As a result, the checks that come to you will be smaller.

Best For: This type of service is best for hospitals and health systems that do not have the necessary resources, space, or logistics to sell their used medical equipment. In addition, making money on that used equipment may not be your top priority, instead it is getting everything removed and properly disposed of on a regular basis by a company you can trust.

To summarize, there are a variety of options for hospitals and health systems to sell their used medical equipment. The option that is best for your health system depends on your own objectives, resources, and capabilities. If you need help evaluating the options for your health system, you can contact companies like ours. Mazree specializes in the buying and selling of used medical equipment and we would love to help you implement the asset recovery program that is best for your hospital or health system.

For more than a decade I have walked the halls, storage areas, and patient rooms of over 100 different hospitals.

Whether I am in a rural community hospital or a large medical center there is a lot that every hospital has in common. They all have patients, caring staff, and skilled caregivers. They also have medical equipment of all types, ages, and conditions. Beds, pumps, x-ray machines, ultrasounds, MRI’s, CT scanners, cabinets, carts, exam tables…this list could go for a while. Much of this equipment is regularly replaced as newer, more advanced technology becomes available. But what happens to the equipment that was replaced? Surely it still has value and could likely be used somewhere else.

It does have value and should be able to be acquired by those who could utilize it. Our goal at Mazree it to make it easy for you to easily sell that medical equipment to qualified buyers around the country.  Select from our self-service option where you can easily list and sell items right from your phone, or our full-service option where we will pickup the equipment and get it listed and sold for you.  

If your hospital does not have a policy and great solution like ours in place, I highly recommend that you make it a top priority. These recovered dollars can help you fund future projects, newer equipment, and more resources.

Contact us today to get your health system started!

CHALLENGE

Intermountain Healthcare needed a solution to fairly and transparently sell their used equipment, furniture, and other surplus items to interested buyers (including their own employees).  They were seeking a partner who offered a user-friendly and aesthetic interface, seamlessly handled payments, and offered cost-effective terms.

Intermountain had utilized auction providers in the past but found they were very expensive did not meet their needs.

SOLUTION

Intermountain went live with Mazree’s Smart Auctions module in mid-2016.  The solution included Mazree’s web and mobile applications, Auction Analytics, and Employee Auction Portal.  The results enabled more bids from diverse audiences, higher revenue, and simplified record keeping.  The portal also enabled their employees to bid on items of personal interest.

“Intermountain Healthcare uses the Mazree auction tool to sell our surplus assets. We have benefited from the streamlined payment process, robust reporting features and direct customer support. With the intuitive user interface our customers start bidding as soon as they log in.”

-  Daniel Duersch, Intermountain Healthcare, Senior Program Development Manager

THE RESULTS

Since going live in 2016, Intermountain Healthcare has sold over 3,000 pieces of equipment and furniture, received over 44,000 bids on items, and have received over $1.8 million from those sales.

Mazree is the place to buy used medical equipment from hospitals and health systems.  We provide online auctions for buyers to find and purchased used medical equipment.  Categories of equipment include imaging equipment, cardiology equipment, lab equipment, technology equipment, and much more. 

Our auction software is best-in-class making it easy for you to find items, bid on items, and win items. 

What happens when you win an equipment auction?

1. We will automatically email you with an invoice that you can pay online with ACH or Card.

2. Once the invoice is paid, you will receive an email with your receipt and instructions for pickup.

It has never been easier to find and purchase medical equipment from hospitals and health systems around the country.  There is no cost to register.  Register today and place your bids for medical equipment at great prices!

With the outbreak of COVID-19, we all know that ventilators are in critical need.  As a company that helps hospitals sell their used medical equipment, we had a ventilator that we sold on our auction site just before the outbreak for $650.  The company that purchased it, is a used medical equipment dealer out of New York.  As a re-seller their goal is to buy used medical equipment at low price, re-furbish and re-certify it, and sell it for as much as they can.