How to choose a CT scanner

A CT scanner is bought on three numbers and one plan: the slice count you need for the exams you will run, the throughput you expect, the dose and image-quality features your radiologists want, and the room and service plan that keep the scanner working for the next ten years. The sections below follow that order: condition, slice count, brand and model, room requirements, installation, service and financing. If you already know your configuration, the model grid lists every CT scan machine we sell, and our CT scanner cost and price guide covers budgets by slice count.

New, refurbished or used CT scanner?

New CT scanners. We sell Fujifilm CT systems new, as an authorized dealer: the Supria 32 and Supria 128, the SCENARIA View and SCENARIA View Focus Edition, and the 128-slice iStream. New buys you the current dose-reduction and reconstruction software, a fresh X-ray tube with its full life ahead of it, the manufacturer warranty and the longest supported service life.

Refurbished CT scanners (MO Select). Our engineers rebuild pre-owned GE and Siemens scanners to the manufacturer specification, replace worn components, verify tube performance and image quality, then install the system with our own crews and cover it with a written warranty. The GE Optima CT660, GE LightSpeed and BrightSpeed families and the Siemens SOMATOM Scope are the platforms we refurbish most often because parts, engineer knowledge and service history are all deep. See refurbished medical imaging equipment for what MO Select includes.

Used CT machines. A used scanner is tested and working but sold without a full rebuild, usually with the existing tube. It is the lowest entry price and suits facilities with their own biomedical team or a defined short-term need. Ask about used units not yet listed. GE, Siemens and Philips scanners are available refurbished or used only; we do not sell those brands new.

Slice count: 16, 32, 64 or 128 slices

16-slice. Routine head, chest, abdomen, spine and extremity CT, emergency departments, urgent care and clinics that need reliable diagnostic CT without cardiac work. Refurbished GE BrightSpeed (Elite and Excel), GE LightSpeed 16 and Siemens SOMATOM Scope systems are the value choice here.

32-slice. A step up in speed and coverage for general radiology and oncology follow-up in a compact footprint. The Fujifilm Supria 32 pairs 32 slices with a 75 cm wide bore, which helps with bariatric patients and radiation-therapy planning positions.

64-slice. The point at which coronary CT angiography, CT perfusion and fast trauma protocols become practical. The refurbished GE Optima CT660 and GE LightSpeed VCT 64 cover this tier; the Fujifilm SCENARIA View is available in 64- and 128-slice configurations.

128-slice. Whole-organ coverage in a single rotation, low-dose pediatric and cardiac imaging, and the throughput a busy hospital department needs. The Fujifilm Supria 128, SCENARIA View 128, SCENARIA View Focus Edition and iStream 128 are the new options.

Slice count is only part of the picture: rotation speed, detector width, tube heat capacity, iterative reconstruction and dose software decide how a scanner performs in practice. Our guide to CT scanner types by slice count walks through each tier with diagrams. Our CT scanner cost and price guide explains slice count in detail, and MRI vs CT scan covers when CT is the right modality.

CT scanner brands we sell

Not sure which manufacturer suits your facility? Read our comparison of the CT scanner brands, GE, Siemens, Philips, Canon and Fujifilm, before you shortlist.

• Fujifilm (formerly Hitachi Medical): sold new. Supria 32, Supria 128, SCENARIA View (64 and 128 slices), SCENARIA View Focus Edition and iStream 128.
• GE Healthcare: refurbished and used through MO Select. Optima CT660 64-slice, LightSpeed (16-slice to VCT 64) and BrightSpeed Elite and Excel.
• Siemens Healthineers: refurbished and used through MO Select. SOMATOM Scope 16-slice.
• Philips: refurbished and used systems sourced on request.
• ClariPi software: ClariCT deep-learning denoising, ClariACE contrast enhancement and ClariAdipo fat analysis run on any of the scanners above.

CT scanner model grid

Every listing opens a full product page with specifications, a video where available and a quote form. Refurbished inventory changes as systems are rebuilt, so ask if the model you want is not listed.

Room requirements and siting

A CT scanner needs a lead-shielded room sized for the gantry, table travel and service access, a separate control room with a leaded viewing window, dedicated three-phase power, a chiller or adequate HVAC for the gantry heat load, a floor that carries the gantry weight and a delivery path from the truck to the room. Compact systems such as the Supria 32 and Supria 128 were designed to fit rooms that older scanners could not. We survey the site before quoting, produce the room layout and coordinate shielding and construction with our construction partner, so the quote covers the whole project. In Puerto Rico and the Caribbean we also plan for power quality, humidity and shipping; see our guide to clinical facility development in the US and Caribbean.

Delivery, installation and de-installation

Our own rigging and installation crews handle site inspection, permits, rigging, gantry placement, calibration, image-quality testing and applications hand-off. We de-install and remove scanners at the end of their life, handle the tube and gantry logistics for a replacement project, and buy or trade in used systems. Florida deliveries are scheduled with our Miami crew, the rest of the United States is covered on scheduled trips, and Puerto Rico and the Caribbean by container shipping from Miami with installation by our engineers. See MRI, CT and X-ray machines for sale in Florida for local delivery details.

Service, tubes, parts and warranty

The X-ray tube is the largest single running cost of a CT scanner, so tube condition and replacement terms are part of every quote we write. Service contracts, repairs and preventive maintenance are available for GE, Siemens, Philips, Fujifilm and Hitachi scanners whether or not the system was purchased from us, backed by more than 20,000 parts in stock and the engineers who rebuild our MO Select systems. Refurbished scanners come with a written warranty; new scanners carry the manufacturer warranty. Visit our service and repair page for coverage options, delivery and logistics, and mobile imaging support.

Financing and leasing

Most CT scanners can be bought outright or leased. Tell us your target monthly payment and term and we will quote both routes, with installation and the first year of service included, so the numbers you present are complete.

CT scanner prices

The price of a CT scan machine depends on slice count, tube condition, software options, condition (new, refurbished or used) and the shielding, power and installation the room needs. Refurbished 16-slice systems sit at the low end, refurbished 64-slice and new 32-slice systems in the middle, and new 64- and 128-slice scanners at the top. For ranges by slice count, new versus refurbished, and what turnkey installation adds, read our CT scanner cost and price guide.

CAT scan machine, CT scan machine or CT scanner?

They are the same equipment. CAT scan (computed axial tomography) is the older name, CT scanner (computed tomography) is the current one, and buyers also search for CT scan machine, CT machine, CT imaging system and multi-slice or multi-detector CT (MDCT). Whether you need a cat scan machine for a clinic, a used CT scanner for an emergency department or a new 128-slice CT scan machine for a hospital, the listings on this page cover all of them.

How to choose an MRI machine

Buying an MRI scanner is a siting and service decision as much as an imaging one. The magnet you choose sets the room you need, the shielding and cryogen plan, the exams you can bill for and the service contract you will carry for the next decade. The sections below follow the order most facilities decide in: condition first, then field strength and magnet type, then brand and model, then footprint, installation, service and how to pay for it. If you already know what you need, the model grid lists every MRI system we sell with its field strength and condition, and our MRI machine cost and price guide covers budgets in detail.

New, refurbished or used MRI machine?

New MRI systems. We sell Fujifilm and Esaote scanners new, as an authorized dealer. New makes sense when you want the latest sequences and workflow software, a full manufacturer warranty, the lowest running costs (the Fujifilm ECHELON Smart ZeroHelium never needs a helium refill) and a system that will still be supported in fifteen years.

Refurbished MRI systems (MO Select). Our engineers strip, rebuild and test pre-owned GE and Siemens magnets against the manufacturer specification, then install them with our own rigging team and cover them with a written warranty. A refurbished 1.5T from a proven platform such as the Siemens MAGNETOM Aera or GE Optima MR450w gives a hospital-grade scanner at a fraction of the new price, with parts availability backed by our own stock. See refurbished medical imaging equipment for what MO Select includes, and refurbished vs OEM-certified equipment for how the two compare.

Used MRI machines. A used system is sold tested and working but without a full rebuild. It is the lowest entry price and suits facilities with in-house biomedical support, a short planned service life, or a project where the magnet is being moved as part of a de-installation. Ask us about used units that are not yet listed; inventory changes weekly. GE, Siemens and Philips scanners are available refurbished or used only; we do not sell those brands new.

Field strength: open and low-field, 1.5T and 3T

Open and extremity MRI (0.25T to 0.4T). Permanent-magnet systems such as the Esaote G-scan, O-scan and S-scan and the Fujifilm AIRIS Vento (0.3T) and APERTO Lucent (0.4T) need no cryogens, fit in a single room and are the most comfortable option for claustrophobic, pediatric and bariatric patients. Orthopedic, sports-medicine and chiropractic practices choose them for joint and spine imaging; the G-scan adds weight-bearing (tilting) exams that a conventional scanner cannot do. Read open MRI vs closed MRI for the trade-offs.

High-field open (1.2T). The Fujifilm OASIS Velocity is a vertical-field open magnet with image quality close to a 1.5T tunnel system, so an imaging center can serve anxious and larger patients without giving up general-purpose exams.

1.5T. The workhorse field strength for hospitals and outpatient imaging centers: neuro, spine, body, musculoskeletal and contrast studies with the widest choice of coils and the broadest service base. New options are the Fujifilm ECHELON Smart family and the ECHELON Synergy; refurbished options include the Siemens MAGNETOM Aera and Espree (70 cm open bore), the GE Optima MR450w wide-bore and the GE Signa HDxt. Our wide-bore MRI systems article explains when the 70 cm bore is worth it.

3T. Twice the signal of 1.5T, which buys resolution and speed for neuro, prostate, small-joint and research protocols. 3T magnets are heavier, need more shielding and more power, and the coils cost more. Refurbished Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra and GE Discovery MR750w systems are the practical way into 3T for most centers.

Not sure whether you need MRI at all, or CT would answer the clinical question? Our MRI vs CT scan guide compares the two, and T1 vs T2 MRI explains the basic contrasts every system produces.

MRI brands we sell

• Fujifilm (formerly Hitachi Medical): sold new. ECHELON Smart 1.5T, ECHELON Smart with SynergyDrive, ECHELON Smart ZeroHelium, ECHELON Synergy, OASIS Velocity 1.2T open, APERTO Lucent 0.4T open and AIRIS Vento 0.3T open. Certified pre-owned Fujifilm units such as the OASIS Velocity CPO are also available.
• Esaote: sold new. G-scan weight-bearing open MRI, O-scan compact extremity MRI and S-scan dedicated musculoskeletal MRI.
• GE Healthcare: refurbished and used through MO Select. Discovery MR750w 3T, Optima MR450w 1.5T and Signa HDxt 1.5T.
• Siemens Healthineers: refurbished and used through MO Select. MAGNETOM Skyra 3T, MAGNETOM Aera 1.5T and MAGNETOM Espree 1.5T.
• Philips: refurbished and used systems sourced on request.
• SwiftMR: deep-learning reconstruction software that shortens scan times by up to 50 percent on any of the scanners above.

MRI model grid

Every listing above opens a full product page with specifications, a video where available and a quote form. Refurbished inventory changes as systems are rebuilt, so ask if the model you want is not listed.

Footprint, siting and RF shielding

The room is the first cost most buyers underestimate. A permanent-magnet extremity system such as the Esaote S-scan installs in about 20 square meters with a compact RF cabin and no cryogens, which is why it works in an orthopedic office. A 1.5T or 3T superconducting magnet needs a shielded suite with an RF-shielded room, a quench pipe to vent helium, a chiller, three-phase power, a floor rated for a multi-ton magnet and a delivery path that the magnet can physically travel. Helium-free designs such as the ECHELON Smart ZeroHelium remove the quench-pipe and refill requirements, which matters on upper floors and in the Caribbean, where helium supply is expensive.

We survey the site before we quote, produce the room layout and coordinate RF shielding, magnetic shielding and construction with our construction partner, so the quote you receive covers the whole project and not only the scanner. Our article on what an MRI quench is explains why the vent pipe is not optional, and the MRI installation in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean guide covers island logistics, power and climate.

Delivery, installation and de-installation

Our own rigging and installation crews handle site inspection, permits, rigging, magnet placement, ramp-up, calibration and performance testing. We also de-install, ramp down, package and rig out MRI systems when a facility upgrades, and we buy or trade in used systems as part of a replacement project. Deliveries in Florida are scheduled with our Miami crew; the rest of the United States is covered by the same team on scheduled trips, and Puerto Rico and the Caribbean by container shipping from Miami with installation by our engineers. See MRI, CT and X-ray machines for sale in Florida for local delivery details.

Service, parts and warranty

Service contracts, repairs, preventive maintenance and MRI cryogen services are available for GE, Siemens, Philips, Fujifilm, Hitachi and Esaote systems, whether or not the scanner was purchased from us. The engineers who rebuild an MO Select magnet are the engineers who service it, backed by more than 20,000 parts in stock. Refurbished systems come with a written warranty, new systems carry the manufacturer warranty, and we offer coverage plans that keep response times and parts commitments in writing. Visit our service and repair page for cryogenic services, delivery and logistics, and mobile imaging support.

Financing and leasing

Most MRI systems can be bought outright or leased. Tell us your target monthly payment and the term you have in mind and we will quote both routes, including installation and the first year of service, so the numbers you present to your board or partners are complete.

MRI machine prices

The price of an MRI machine depends on field strength, magnet type, condition, coil package, software options and the siting work the room needs. Open and extremity systems sit at the low end, refurbished 1.5T scanners in the middle, and new 1.5T and 3T systems at the top, with shielding, cryogens and installation added on top of the scanner itself. For ranges by system type, new versus refurbished, and the running costs to plan for, read our MRI machine cost and price guide.

Other names for an MRI machine

Buyers search for the same equipment under several names: MRI scanner, MRI unit, magnetic resonance imaging machine, open MRI machine, mobile MRI, extremity MRI and MSK MRI. Whether you are looking for a used MRI machine for sale, a refurbished MRI scanner for an imaging center, or a new 1.5T system for a hospital, the listings on this page are the same systems under any of those names.