Sound Imaging Inc., based in San Diego, Calif., is a leading provider of refurbished mobile MRI units, offering competitive pricing and flexible leasing options to customers including hospitals and imaging centers. Their refurbished mobile units include high-tech 1.0T and 1.5T MRI technology. The company provides cost-effective parts and prides itself on 24/7 support. They also supply accessories like MRI stereos or patient observation systems.

"Anything that customers need, we can provide some solution. They might be upgrading their mobile to increase the imaging center's flexibility because their current mobile comes two or three times a week. We can provide those customers with a full-time mobile for about the same cost," said Robert Graham, Operations and Sales. "We can repair and refurbish old coils. If customers are looking to expand to a new part of the anatomy we can provide the corresponding coil."


In today's tight market for medical imaging, it is critical for imaging centers to maintain high patient through-put in order to remain profitable, and Sound Imaging contributes to that goal. "If a customer has an older system and wants to upgrade to a better system with better image quality and faster scan times, they will upgrade. In the meantime they still need to be able to scan their patients so they'll rent a mobile for six months, a year, or however long it takes," Graham said. He also noted that customers include smaller imaging centers or hospitals that want to grow and add the MRI modality, often in a joint venture. "Rural areas and small towns such as in the Midwest don't have a lot of money for this new technology. Often several hospitals get together and purchase one mobile to stay at one location where everybody can refer patients and share the revenue from having a scanner."

Sound Imaging also sells parts to customers including hospital biomedical departments that need MR system cabinet circuits boards, new coils, power supplies, and other parts. "We try to beat the competition on the pricing to save the money for the hospitals that don't have it in their budget to go to GE for brand new parts."

The company relies on DOTmed's Parts Hunter™ as one sales tool. "I get e-mail whenever somebody is looking for a part....It's good because you can see what other people are offering and gauge the market value on different parts--whether they have increased or decreased in cost," he said of DOTmed. "It's really easy to use."

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