GE manufactures its own X-ray tubes around the world. "When you have a scanner down, timing is absolutely everything. It's not just the expertise of the installer, but also having the right part available when you need it. And that's where GE is well equipped no matter where you are located in the world to handle those needs in a very timely and efficient way."

Siemens takes an incremental approach


Siemens also manufactures glassware and provides tube coverage for their CT systems. The company has more than a dozen CTs and types of tubes. Pricing depends on the system in question and on usage.

"We have an unlimited coverage plan...what I call an 'all-you-can-eat' plan," said John Barbati, Service Product Manager for CT, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Cary, NC. "If you're our customer and you buy unlimited tube coverage, no matter how much you use it... if a tube goes bad we replace it."

They also offer options for less than unlimited coverage at a variety of usage levels. This menu includes many incremental tiers so that customers pay only for their likely volume.

If a customer exceeds their intended volume, they simply move into the next tier of usage from extremely low use (25,000 scans seconds on some CTs) up to unlimited coverage. Customers get 5% overage without any additional charge.

"By offering a plan at a low level, you aren't exposed financially paying for a lot of usage that you don't need," Barbati said.

The likely usage depends on patient volume, scanner type, medical specialty, and other factors. "In an oncology situation where they use a CT for simulation, the usage would be much lower. A typical radiation oncology facility that has a CT would typically buy 100,000 scans seconds per year," he said. "In using the same type of CT in a radiology setting, they are more likely to buy 300,000 or unlimited because they'll
use it that much more."

Installation is done by Siemens field engineers. Siemens also offers tube coverage for other modalities such as general X-ray and cath lab.

**

Varian, the independent X-ray tube leader, likes the view from the sideline

Varian occupies a unique position in the world of X-ray tube OEMs. David Hurlock, International Marketing Manager, Varian Medical Systems/Interay, is well aware of what the other big three are doing, and stated Varian's position this way: "Varian Medical Systems, the largest independent X-ray tube manufacturer in the world, distributes our replacement X-ray tubes through a network of independent distributors and service companies - these companies are our customers. Some of our customers offer an X-ray tube insurance program. We choose not to compete directly against our customers."

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