GE OEC Elite C-Arm in Texas: How It Compares With the OEC 9900 Elite

The GE OEC Elite is the newer of the two OEC lines most Texas buyers compare, and the OEC 9900 Elite is the one they see most often on the refurbished market. Both are full-size mobile C-arms built around an image intensifier, so the decision usually comes down to the monitor, the workflow software, image storage and budget. This guide puts the two side by side and explains what a listing means when it calls a unit an "OEC Elite AES". For C-arm models, repair and rental, see our C-arm sales, repair and rental page.

OEC Elite and OEC 9900 Elite side by side

The figures below come from Block Imaging's comparison of the two systems (Block Imaging) and GE's product page for the OEC Elite. Options vary from one unit to the next, so confirm the exact configuration of any machine you are quoted.

When the Elite launched, Block Imaging expected new units to cost roughly 15 to 25 percent more than a new 9900 Elite. On the used market the gap depends far more on age, software and condition than on the model name, so compare complete configurations rather than headline prices.

What "AES" means in a listing

Used C-arms are sometimes advertised as an "OEC Elite AES". GE's product page for the OEC Elite does not use that name (GE HealthCare), and we have not found a GE model called AES. In IT, AES stands for the Advanced Encryption Standard, a common method of encrypting data. A seller using the term may be describing how a unit protects stored or transmitted images, or it may simply be a label carried over from another listing. On its own, it should not change the price.

Ask the seller three things: what "AES" refers to on that particular unit, where you can see it on the system's options screen, and whether it affects how the C-arm connects to your network. If images will go to PACS, your IT team will care more about the DICOM options and where the C-arm sits on the network; our guide to connecting a refurbished C-arm to PACS covers both.

Which one fits your facility

A single OR doing general orthopedic and pain cases

A refurbished 9900 Elite with a 9-inch intensifier and a standard surgical package covers most of this work for less money. Because the 9900 is common on the used market, it is also easier to compare several units and prices before you commit. Our OEC 9900 configuration guide explains the 9-inch, 12-inch, Super C and motorized versions.

A busy surgery center that reviews many images during a case

The Elite's single large monitor, larger image storage and included ESP software are the reasons to pay more. If surgeons often compare earlier runs during a case, or one C-arm is shared between rooms all day, the storage difference alone can justify the step up.

Vascular work or larger patients

Both lines come in 12-inch versions for a larger field of view. For vascular procedures, look at the software package as closely as the model: subtraction and roadmapping depend on the vascular software installed, not on whether the badge says Elite.

If you are also looking at flat-panel models

GE also sells flat-panel C-arms, such as the OEC One CFD, and you will see other brands with flat panels on the used market. A flat panel avoids the round image and edge distortion of an image intensifier, but it costs more to buy and to service, and it does not automatically mean a lower dose. Our guide to choosing between an image intensifier and a flat-panel C-arm walks through the trade-offs before you decide which generation to shop for.

Before you buy an OEC Elite or 9900 Elite in Texas

1. Get the configuration in writing: model, intensifier size, C type, software package and the manufacture date from the system label.
2. Ask for recent images: phantom images at normal and high-level settings show image quality far better than photos of the machine.
3. Check the tube and generator history: error logs, exposure history and any parts already replaced.
4. Plan the Texas paperwork: radiation machines must be registered with the Department of State Health Services, and an equipment performance evaluation is due within 30 days of installation (25 TAC §289.226). Book the physicist before the C-arm arrives.
5. Confirm what comes with it: our pre-owned units are reconditioned, which means inspected, repaired where needed, tested to manufacturer specifications and covered by a 90-day warranty.

Next steps

If you are still deciding between generations, our guide to OEC C-arm models from the 9600 to the Elite lays out each one. Our CBET-certified engineers service OEC C-arms within about 300 miles of our Garland headquarters, with same-day on-site visits across Dallas–Fort Worth and a response in under 8 business hours elsewhere. We are an independent company and are not affiliated with GE HealthCare. To ask about an OEC Elite or 9900 Elite, call (469) 767-8853 or send us a request.