A used CT injector can look spotless and still have a worn drive, a sticky plunger or a pressure limit that no longer trips where it should. Many of these faults show up in a short hands-on test, if you know what to look for. Use this checklist when you inspect an injector in San Antonio, or ask the seller to record each test on video if you are buying from a distance. For repair and equipment sales in the area, see our medical equipment repair and sales page for San Antonio.
Why these checks matter
Power injectors push viscous contrast quickly and at high pressure, with ECRI citing 300 psi as an example, while the technologist usually cannot watch the injection site during the scan (ECRI). The safeguards below, a pressure limit that trips at the right point, stops that work from every control, and protection against air, are what keep a routine study routine. The injector's limits also have to suit the IV access you use: many power-injectable PICCs and ports are rated at 5 mL per second with a 300 psi limit (UCSF Radiology).
The hands-on checklist
Run every test with saline into a waste container, never with a patient connected, and follow the operator's manual for the exact menu steps on that model.
| Check | How to test | What a pass looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure limiting | With a pressure gauge or the manufacturer's test fixture, inject against a restriction with a low pressure limit set | Pressure stays at or near the set limit, and the injector reduces flow or stops and alarms as the manual describes |
| Flow rate and volume | Inject a programmed volume at several flow rates into a graduated container and time each run | Volume and timing match the program within the manufacturer's stated tolerance |
| Air safeguards | Follow the manual's air-check steps; on a syringeless system, let a container run empty during setup | The injector's air protection works as described, whether sensors, a fill-check prompt or visual indicators |
| Stop and hold | Press stop or hold during an injection, from the head and from the console | The injection stops or pauses at once from every control |
| Multi-phase protocols | Run a two-phase contrast and saline protocol | Phases switch at the programmed points without pauses or surges |
| Head and arm | Rotate, tilt and lock the head; inspect the arm, pedestal and casters | Locks hold, nothing wobbles, and there are no cracks |
| Screens and cables | Touch every area of each screen; inspect the connectors between head, pedestal and console | No dead spots, flicker or loose connectors |
| Error log | Review stored errors and usage counts | No repeating drive, pressure or communication errors |
| Electrical safety | Test leakage current and ground resistance with a safety analyzer | Within the limits of the standard your facility follows |
Red flags
- No service history, or a gap of several years in it.
- Repeated drive or motor errors in the log, or a log that has just been cleared.
- Cracks around the syringe interfaces or the head housing, or dried contrast around the seals.
- A software version for which disposables are no longer sold.
- A seller who will not show the unit injecting or send a video of the tests.
Inspecting from a distance
If you cannot see the injector in person, ask for proof you can check. A video of each test in the table with the injector screen visible, photos of every serial label, a photo or export of the error log, and a live video call while the pressure test runs will tell you most of what an in-person visit would. Be wary of a seller who can only offer still photos of a clean machine.
Accessories worth checking
Accessories are easy to forget and can be costly to replace. Confirm whether the sale includes the scanner interface cable, the contrast warmer or heat maintainer, the IV pole, the extravasation detection accessory and its patches, and any remote console or mounting hardware. Test each one along with the injector, because a missing or faulty accessory can delay go-live as surely as a fault in the injector itself.
Paperwork to ask for
- A signed test record listing the serial numbers of the head, console and pedestal.
- The software version and installed options, including any scanner interface or extravasation detection accessory.
- The preventive maintenance and repair history.
- A list of parts replaced during refurbishment, and the warranty in writing. Our reconditioned equipment carries a 90-day warranty.
- The operator's manual, or confirmation of where your staff can get it.
After you buy: keep testing
The same checks, done at installation, become your baseline. Repeat the key ones, flow, volume, pressure limiting, stops and electrical safety, at each preventive maintenance visit on the manufacturer's schedule, and compare the results with the baseline. A slow drift in delivered volume or a pressure alarm that starts appearing earlier is worth investigating before it turns into a failure in the middle of a busy day.
Buying and service in San Antonio
San Antonio is within about 300 miles of our Garland headquarters, inside our regular service area. Our CBET-certified engineers respond in under 8 business hours, run these checks at installation and leave a signed record. To compare injector types and model families, read our Texas CT injector buying guide; for common faults, see our CT injector repair guide; and for everything we do in the area, our San Antonio service area. We are an independent company and are not affiliated with any injector manufacturer. Call (469) 767-8853 or send us a request with the model and serial number of the injector you are considering.
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