Finding the 'Right' Serial Tag on Your Medical Imaging Equipment

If you’re hoping to sell a piece of medical imaging equipment you’ll need to gather a LOT of information about it. One of the most important things you’ll need is the system’s serial number.

This might seem like a no-brainer but, once you actually go to take a shot of the serial tag, you might find that your system has many more stickers and serial numbers on it than you thought. So, which one is the “right” one?

How to Find Your System Serial Number

The first place to look for your system serial number is on the largest piece of the system.

For example, a CT serial tag is usually on the gantry while an X-ray tag is usually on the table.

It will probably be on the back, near the floor, and will almost always have all three of the following:

• Date of manufacture
• System name
• Serial number

Once you find this serial number, it is best practice to take a photo of it, and keep it in a secure file.

What other serial tags will I find on my system?

Among the other stickers you’ll see all over your machine (safety decals, CFR tags, power specs, patents, etc.) will be serial tags for the major components.

In the same way you would take a photo of your serial number and store it, it is best practice to do the same for the tags.

Component serial tags can let a buyer know if anything has been replaced, which features a unit has, or even which software revision is installed on it.

Three tell-tale signs that you’re looking at a component tag and NOT the system tag: 

1) The description is the name of a component and not the system. 

2) The tag wasn’t visible before removing a cover. 

3) The tag bears the name of a secondary manufacturer.

Which tags do I need to sell my system?

Depending on the modality you want to sell, different tags will be important.

Here are some of the most commonly requested:

• X-ray tubes
• Digital detectors
• Console computers
• Collimators
• Image intensifiers
• High voltage tanks
• RF amplifiers
• MRI coils

The Big Picture

Ultimately, the best solution is to photograph all the tags and to label the photos carefully. Making it easy to learn about your system can be a selling point of its own.

If you’d like to learn more best practices to help sell your medical imaging equipment, feel free to contact us or download our free selling guide.