Medical imaging equipment appraisals.
A medical imaging appraisal from Lukes & Lukes is an independent, USPAP-compliant opinion of value for MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, PET and mammography systems. Each unit is valued by modality, configuration, age, the condition of high-wear components, the software entitlements that transfer, and the active resale and refurbishment market for its class. Built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.
What we appraise
Every modality, valued on its own market.
Each imaging modality trades in its own market with its own demand curve, so we value each on its own evidence rather than a single price list. From a single replacement suite to a multi-site imaging fleet, a certified appraiser values the hardware and the entitlements that convey with it.
- MRI: read by field strength, coil package and magnet condition, including the cold head and helium state.
- CT: read by slice count and detector rows, with close attention to X-ray tube life.
- X-ray and fluoroscopy: fixed, mobile and C-arm units across generations.
- Ultrasound: cart-based and point-of-care systems with their transducer complements.
- PET and PET/CT: valued with their siting, shielding and service requirements.
- Mammography: 2D and tomosynthesis platforms.
By modality
MRI, CT and X-ray, one at a time.
MRI equipment appraisal
An MRI appraisal starts with the magnet: field strength, the cold head, the helium level, and whether the system has been ramped down or quenched. Then the coil package, the gradient generation and the software release. A 1.5T system on a current release with a full coil set trades in a different market from the same model two releases back.
CT scanner valuation
A CT appraisal reads the slice count, the detector generation and the X-ray tube. The tube is the largest single wear item on the system, and its remaining life shows in the scan-seconds counter and the service log.
X-ray equipment valuation
Fixed rooms, portables and C-arms are valued on detector type (CR or DR), generator output and installation. A fixed room carries installation cost that a portable does not, and whether that cost counts toward value depends on the premise.
Imaging center appraisal
An imaging center appraisal covers the whole suite: each modality, the shielding and RF cage, chillers and power conditioning, PACS hardware, and furniture and fixtures. The equipment is reported apart from the value of the business.
What drives the value
Two units, same model name, different value.
The detail is the appraisal. Age and technology generation, the remaining life of high-wear components like X-ray tubes and MRI coils, documented service history and transferable contracts, the software entitlements that actually convey, and the cost to de-install and re-site a unit all move the number more than cosmetic condition ever will. A database printout cannot see any of it. We do not quote a value before inspection.
Read the full breakdown: what a used MRI or CT machine is worth →
Which value applies
The right premise for the situation.
The same scanner carries different numbers depending on why you need the appraisal. We determine and defend the premise your situation requires.
Common questions
Answers, up front.
How is an MRI or CT scanner valued?
A certified appraiser applies the cost, market and income approaches under USPAP, then weighs the factors that move imaging value: field strength or slice count, age and technology generation, the remaining life of the magnet or X-ray tube, documented service history, and which software entitlements transfer. The market evidence comes from the active refurbishment and parts network for that modality.
Do you have to inspect the machine in person?
Inspection drives the conclusion. The value of imaging equipment turns on details a listing cannot show, such as tube hours, coil and gradient condition, the helium state of an MRI, and which entitlements convey. We confirm these before forming an opinion of value, and we do not quote a value before inspection.
Does imaging software count toward value?
Often, but only what conveys. Clinical applications, advanced visualization and tube-output entitlements are frequently licensed rather than owned and may not transfer with the hardware. We confirm what conveys and reflect it in the report.
Who reviews an imaging appraisal, and what do they test?
Usually a healthcare equipment-finance credit officer, and the tests are always the same: tube or magnet condition, technology generation, which entitlements transfer, and whether the comparables come from the refurbishment market rather than list prices. Each one is documented. USPAP-compliant, signed by a NEBB-certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA).
We are selling an imaging center. Is the equipment appraised apart from the business?
Yes. The report values the equipment on the premise the assignment calls for, installed and in continued use or removed for sale. The value of the business itself, including goodwill and referral relationships, is a separate opinion.
Our MRI is off its OEM service contract. Does that lower its value?
It can. A lapsed contract interrupts the documented service history a buyer relies on, and some software and parts support is tied to the contract. We read the service records that exist, confirm the system's condition on inspection, and reflect the gap in the report.
Related specialties
Also under healthcare, medical & dental.
Laboratory and diagnostics equipment appraisals →