Given the economy and the need to stretch budgets, purchasing pre-owned equipment may prove to be a viable approach for augmenting your facility's inventory, says Ray Midlam, product manager, certified pre-owned equipment for Olympus America.
"This is particularly true if your facility is looking to acquire backup equipment or equipment that will be used infrequently, such as specialty scopes," he says. "Naturally, the equipment you need must be available from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or in the secondary market, and it must be compatible with your existing equipment platform and peripherals. But taking those considerations as a given, here are five things to look at closely before you leap into the pre-owned equipment pool."
Additionally, consider the physical condition of the equipment. Also, be sure to find out if the model is still supported by the OEM, otherwise you may end up with a product with no access to replacement parts. And don't be lulled into complacency by a product sporting a "certified" or "CPO" label. This is an unregulated term with no standards to support it. So ask the supplier what, in fact, their "certified" label means and how the product was repaired. For example, if the equipment is an endoscope, did it undergo a rigorous refurbishment process with all parts inspected? Were the insertion tube and other worn or damaged parts replaced with OEM parts? If not, buyers beware: A scope that has been altered with third-party parts — even those purporting to be reverse engineered or "OEM-like" — is no longer FDA 510(k) compliant, which means it is no longer validated for reprocessing. Therefore, unless you are purchasing the pre-owned scope from the OEM, make sure to ask the seller for reprocessing validation for any of its modified parts. Also check with your facility's infection control department for any specific instructions relative to modified medical equipment.
Related Articles From Olympus America:
5 Things to Know Before Buying Pre-Owned Equipment
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"This is particularly true if your facility is looking to acquire backup equipment or equipment that will be used infrequently, such as specialty scopes," he says. "Naturally, the equipment you need must be available from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or in the secondary market, and it must be compatible with your existing equipment platform and peripherals. But taking those considerations as a given, here are five things to look at closely before you leap into the pre-owned equipment pool."
Additionally, consider the physical condition of the equipment. Also, be sure to find out if the model is still supported by the OEM, otherwise you may end up with a product with no access to replacement parts. And don't be lulled into complacency by a product sporting a "certified" or "CPO" label. This is an unregulated term with no standards to support it. So ask the supplier what, in fact, their "certified" label means and how the product was repaired. For example, if the equipment is an endoscope, did it undergo a rigorous refurbishment process with all parts inspected? Were the insertion tube and other worn or damaged parts replaced with OEM parts? If not, buyers beware: A scope that has been altered with third-party parts — even those purporting to be reverse engineered or "OEM-like" — is no longer FDA 510(k) compliant, which means it is no longer validated for reprocessing. Therefore, unless you are purchasing the pre-owned scope from the OEM, make sure to ask the seller for reprocessing validation for any of its modified parts. Also check with your facility's infection control department for any specific instructions relative to modified medical equipment.
Related Articles From Olympus America:
5 Things to Know Before Buying Pre-Owned Equipment
Olympus Introduces New Surgical Equipment
Olympus Donates $1.5M for GI Training Center