Sharrock. "This is where gener-
ator size comes into play. If
your particular specialty is lim-
ited to extremities, it may not
be necessary to spend more on
a bigger generator. If you oper-
ate in a field like bariatrics, it
will be worth your while to
investigate the more powerful
end of the spectrum."
Then there's digital vs. ana-
log. When it comes to image
quality, analog just can't com-
pete with digital or flat-panel
technology, says Mr. Sharrock.
Only analog C-arms have image
intensifiers (IIs), pretty expen-
sive parts that eventually lose
image gain. IIs are readily avail-
able on the second-hand market, both "certified used" and "refur-
bished." A digital detector system, on the other hand, has no II.
Instead, says Mr. Sharrock, these units are equipped with flat-panel
digital detectors that exhibit very limited degradation and over a
much longer period of use.
Another drawback to having an II is the need to collimate down
when viewing anatomy in a higher magnification. "While finer details
become visible, the field of vision is reduced further and further with
each subsequent magnification," says Mr. Sharrock, "whereas magnifi-
cation on a digital system is possible without any reduction of scale."
Flat-panel detectors are steadily replacing image intensifiers on
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | January 2015
C-arms should be able
to expose any patient
at every angle.
