BC Technical, a non-OEM provider of medical imaging solutions, has announced a strategic relationship with Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics Group (CSA CSM) anticipated to help its customers increase MRI coldhead longevity and reduce cryogen use.

“This agreement will mean increased quality and higher longevity, leading to extended time between failure and less cryogen use,” says Mark Alvarez, president and CEO of BC Technical. “With current helium shortages and resulting price increases, this is a big deal.”

According to BC Technical, the growth of its multivendor MRI installed base, combined with a desire to provide customers with extended component lifespan and enhanced repair capacity at a lower cost, led to the decision to partner with SHI, a worldwide manufacturer of cryogenic solutions.

The partnership, BC Technical says, means its customers can not only expect the same standard of manufacturing, quality, and longevity they received from an OEM, but that new parts from BC Technical will also cost considerably less, close in fact to the cost of refurbished ones.

“We’re very excited to announce our partnership with a top tier service provider like BC Technical,” says Jim Beier, VP of service for Sumitomo Cryogenics. “Everything they do speaks to their commitment to their customers for quality and satisfaction. They truly think about keeping the overall socket cost to the customers as low as possible while maintaining high quality and system uptime. Other firms just want to sell you the coldhead service that they can repeat in 14 months. If you do the analysis, this way of thinking actually doubles your overall cost over a 32-month period. BC is your strategic partner, the other firms are just suppliers.”