Robin Gillespie, Sales Consultant, MedCorp, headquartered in Tampa, FL, asserted that her company is one of the premier ISOs in the used and refurbished ultrasound business, and the company has an extensive inventory to support the claim. MedCorp is also a division of Henry Schein, a Fortune 500 company and global leader in medical supply distribution, and an authorized U.S. distributor for Siemens ultrasound equipment. She pointed out that MedCorp is very proud and upfront about the extensive and detailed refurbishing the company performs, (see: Refurbished Ultrasound - A Buyer's Check List). They have a full line of transducers in stock, and carry systems from all major ultrasound manufacturers. MedCorp also is well-known in South and Central America, and their business in these regions is headed up by long-time industry pro, Fred Frimbres.

Tim Edwards, Manager, Preowned Systems for Preferred Medical Systems of Cordova, TN, takes pride in the quality of the refurbished equipment they sell. "We do a very thorough job every time we refurbish and system and then test all functions to make sure everything works as it should." Edwards said they carry used systems from the big three ultrasound manufacturers, but he also noted that Preferred Medical was a unique ISO in that they are also the authorized dealer for new GE systems in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia.


Transducer/Probe repair
Almost every ultrasound ISO can get your transducer repaired, but they're not likely to do it themselves. The reason can be summed up in one small word: size. Or more accurately, the super-tiny size of the elements within a transducer.

The transducer - which sends and receives back the ultrasound echo, or image - is packed with miniaturized components and piezoelectric crystals. Some transducers have hundreds of coaxial cables just the thickness of human hair, and working inside the transducer is something that requires powerful microscopes, special knowledge, special tools, and years of experience.

There are only a handful of ultrasound ISOs that have "the right stuff" to repair the businessend of these machines. Sonora, Echoserve, and Wetsco (a company that only deals with other ISOs, not end-users) are three of the best known transducer repairers. Specialized Technologies, out of Tulsa, OK, is a company in this niche market. And as their name indicates, they specialize in one area: the repair of TEE (transesophageal) probes.

Whether you buy a full system or parts, look for a consultant, not a sales person

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