Dive Brief:
- Compared to the same three-month period last year, the demand for 3-D compatible machines rose by 8%, according to data from the most recent Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.
- Providers are paying almost a third more for mobile C-arm X-ray systems than they did last year.
- The price increase is attributed to demand for new and more expensive systems that are 3-D compatible, allowing the images to be integrated with surgical navigation systems.
Dive Insight:
C-arm systems in general ranged in price from $100,000 to $600,000 during the time period covered by the price index, and the 3-D systems averaged a $520,000 price tag. According to Jason Launders, director of operations for the ECRI health devices group, 3-D systems are a good investment, as they will not become obsolete for over 15 years.
Computer-assisted surgical techniques have been heavily marketed to consumers as being less invasive and offering faster recovery times than traditional surgical techniques. 3-D compatible imaging improves accuracy and limits radiation exposure to patients, as well as saving them time and money due to the elimination of postsurgical imaging. These factors have helped fuel the popularity of 3-D compatible mobile x-ray systems.
The market for these systems is likely to continue growing as physicians embrace 3-D printing and explore groundbreaking techniques, such as the one last year in which CT imaging and 3-D printing technologies were used in combination to plan the surgical separation of conjoined twins. At least one company, EOS, has already developed a complete platform that integrates imaging with surgical planning models and patient-specific instruments.
