CT and MRI: the scanner price is only the first bill
A donated scanner, a routine CT platform and a low-helium MRI can each be sensible. The deciding costs are the room, supported protocols, major repairs and studies the service can complete.
Sources reviewed
The decision at a glance.
- Start here
- For routine CT, compare Revolution Advance and SOMATOM go.Now against the actual examination list. For MRI, evaluate Free.Star where siting and helium logistics constrain the project, alongside the 1.5T MR 5300.
- Spend more when
- Pay for additional protocols, coils or capacity when radiologists accept the results and the complete examination workflow demonstrates a useful gain. A larger slice number alone cannot settle the CT choice.
- Watch the budget
- A donated scanner still needs relocation, room work, installation, software rights and service. CT reconstructed slice counts differ from acquired coverage; low-helium MRI still has substantial operating obligations.
- Check the support
- Name the organization that will repair the exact relocated system. Price major-component exposure and service continuity before treating a low equipment price as a saving.
Ask the supplier
- Which protocols and coils are included in acceptance?
- What is the complete installed price and annual fixed cost?
- Who covers the tube or magnet and recovery after power interruption?
The CT slice badge can hide the comparison
Revolution Advance and SOMATOM go.Now are concrete routine-CT candidates, but their headline slice figures need interpretation. GE specifies 16-slice CT with optional 32-slice post-reconstruction; Siemens lists 32 slices alongside 16 × 0.7 mm z-coverage. Reconstructed slice count is not acquired detector coverage. Have the radiology team assess the actual protocol and reconstruction package instead of using the bigger printed number as an automatic upgrade.
Check the table against the intended patient population and the room against the actual installation plan. go.Now’s optional higher-load table may be material; a compact scanner footprint does not describe the whole department. The published 42 kW and 32 kW generator ratings are not building energy-consumption estimates. Use site-planning requirements and an installed offer to compare power, environmental control and construction.
Low-helium MRI removes one obstacle, not the operating budget
Free.Star combines 0.55T imaging with a sealed 0.7-litre helium inventory and no quench pipe. MR 5300 uses a 1.5T BlueSeal design retaining a small sealed helium inventory. These approaches can reduce helium logistics; neither means the magnet contains no helium or the hospital can dispense with an appropriately designed MRI environment. Their different field strengths also prevent a simple like-for-like equipment comparison.
Ask the radiologists to accept representative protocols, coil coverage and image quality, then time the complete study workflow—including positioning, patient changeover and repeats. Free.Star’s siting advantages matter only if the offered protocols meet the service requirement. MR 5300’s service-package language is useful for structuring an offer, but maintenance, coil replacement and upgrades depend on the actual annual contract. Neither brochure establishes recovery after every power interruption.
Make a donation compete with a functioning service
Before accepting an older scanner, identify what will arrive: tube or magnet, coils, patient accessories, computers and transferable software entitlements. Add deinstallation, transport, room work, installation and acceptance to the equipment price. Name the organization that will support that serial number after relocation. A missing coil or unlicensed application can remove an examination from the service just as decisively as a broken component.
Then price the next major repair and the work lost while waiting. A machine already supported locally may beat a newer model that needs distant engineers; an apparently free unit can lose once tube exposure, parts travel and referrals are included. GE’s model-specific service training establishes that documentation and training exist, not that a destination engineer is available. No controlled reliability comparison establishes which shortlisted scanner lasts longest.
Use completed, accepted studies as the cost denominator. If realistic demand cannot fund staffing, service and the installation, compare a funded referral arrangement before committing to the scanner. That is especially relevant for a first CT or MRI service: idle capacity still carries fixed costs.
Compare the options.
GE Revolution Advance
- Capability
- 16-slice CT; 42 kW generator, 3.5 MHU tube; optional 32-slice post-reconstruction.
- Best fit
- Routine examinations accepted on the offered 16-slice platform.
- Cost to watch
- Installed configuration, reconstruction licenses, tube coverage and site work.
Siemens SOMATOM go.Now
- Capability
- 32 reported slices with 16 × 0.7 mm z-coverage; 32 kW generator and 70 cm bore.
- Best fit
- Routine CT where the demonstrated workflow and site layout suit the hospital.
- Cost to watch
- Selected generation, table capacity, software, installation and tube/service terms.
Siemens MAGNETOM Free.Star
- Capability
- 0.55T MRI, 60 cm bore, sealed 0.7-litre helium inventory and no quench pipe.
- Best fit
- A service whose required protocols are accepted on the offered low-field system.
- Cost to watch
- Coils, sequences, site preparation, service and demonstrated study duration.
Philips MR 5300
- Capability
- 1.5T BlueSeal MRI with a small sealed helium inventory.
- Best fit
- A service needing the offered 1.5T capabilities and able to fund the complete installation.
- Cost to watch
- Named coils, applications, installation and the actual annual service contract.
Model notes, pricing & support 4 options
GE Revolution Advance
Routine CT shortlist
- Best for
- Routine examinations accepted on a 16-slice platform.
- Why consider it
- GE specifies 16 slices, 42 kW and a 3.5 MHU tube, with optional 32-slice post-reconstruction.
- The trade-off
- Reconstructed slice count is not the same as acquired detector coverage. Quote the required reconstruction functions, positioning equipment and export interfaces explicitly; do not infer advanced applications from the Revolution family name.
- Price & package
- Installed quote required, including software, tube coverage and service.
- Support
- Brochure and model-specific training verified; local engineer and parts/tube commitments unconfirmed.
Siemens SOMATOM go.Now
Routine CT alternative
- Best for
- Routine CT where its demonstrated workflow and layout fit.
- Why consider it
- US specifications list 32 slices, 16 × 0.7 mm z-coverage, 32 kW and a 70 cm bore; an optional higher-load table may matter.
- The trade-off
- Published options and regional configurations vary. Its small scanner footprint is not the whole installed department, and generator kW is not a building power-consumption estimate.
- Price & package
- Installed quote required for exact generation, table, licenses and service.
- Support
- Manufacturer documentation available; destination response, tube terms and service horizon unconfirmed.
Siemens MAGNETOM Free.Star
MRI shortlist where siting and helium logistics dominate
- Best for
- A service whose radiologists accept its 0.55T protocols and throughput.
- Why consider it
- A 60 cm bore, sealed 0.7-litre helium inventory and no quench pipe address specific remote-site logistics.
- The trade-off
- Lower helium dependence does not establish equal performance for every 1.5T application or resilience to every power outage. Compare actual protocol duration, coils and accepted image quality before calculating patient capacity.
- Price & package
- Quote required: coils, sequences, site work, commissioning and service.
- Support
- System documentation available; local service and power-interruption recovery commitment unconfirmed.
Philips MR 5300
1.5T MRI alternative
- Best for
- A service needing the offered 1.5T capabilities.
- Why consider it
- BlueSeal retains a small sealed helium inventory. A contract-based maintenance, coil-replacement and upgrade package provides an ownership-cost comparison.
- The trade-off
- Helium-free operation does not mean the magnet contains no helium or that service is free. The brochure's lifetime language is tied to contract terms. Coil selection and accepted protocols determine useful coverage.
- Price & package
- Quote required: named coils, applications, installation and annual service scope.
- Support
- Service offerings documented; country availability, eligibility, exclusions and price unconfirmed.
Budget for the complete service.
Cost per completed, accepted study = (acquisition or donation relocation + construction/site systems + coils or tube provision + installation/acceptance + staffing/training + software + service + energy/cooling + downtime/referrals) / accepted studies completed over the funded period.
- CT tube coverage, exclusions and replacement lead time
- MRI coil replacement and enabled sequence packages
- Room construction, shielding, electrical supply and environmental control
- Service travel, remote diagnostics and computer/software lifecycle
- Utilization lost to downtime, repeats or unsupported protocols
Further checks & evidence limits
Questions to resolve
- Which exact examinations and protocols must be accepted before purchase?
- What is the installed price and annual fixed cost at the actual site?
- Is each quoted slice number acquired coverage or post-reconstruction?
- Which coils, software options and tube/magnet coverage are included?
- Who can restore this serial-numbered system locally, including after a power event?
What the evidence does not establish
- No historical owner CT/MRI models were supplied.
- No installed quotes, country-specific service commitments or utilization forecast.
- No comparative failure-rate dataset or locally demonstrated image-quality/throughput evaluation.
- Regional availability and configuration must be confirmed; public brochures are not procurement commitments.
Sources & supporting evidence.
Manufacturer claims and seller offers are identified below. Prices apply to the stated offer and review date; confirm availability, configuration and delivered cost.
- GE Revolution Advance technical and workflow brochureGE HealthCare · manufacturer · checked October 16, 2026
16-slice platform; optional 32-slice post-reconstruction; 42 kW generator and 3.5 MHU tube.
- Siemens SOMATOM go.Now US specificationsSiemens Healthineers · manufacturer · checked October 16, 2026
Distinguishes 32 slices from 16 × 0.7 mm z-coverage; 32 kW, 70 cm bore and optional table specifications.
- MAGNETOM Free.Star XA60 system overviewSiemens Healthineers · manufacturer · checked October 16, 2026
0.55T, 60 cm bore, sealed 0.7-litre helium inventory and no quench pipe; training documentation is not a site-specific installation approval.
- Philips MR 5300 BlueSeal and ownership brochurePhilips · manufacturer · checked October 16, 2026
1.5T BlueSeal design retains helium; Performance for Life package is described as annual-price service for the duration of a contract.
- Revolution Advance service introduction trainingGE HealthCare · manufacturer · checked October 16, 2026
Model-specific service education offering; this does not establish destination engineering coverage.
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