Marquis Medical

"It was cheaper to buy a used one than a new one, that's one reason [we chose used equipment]," Dr. Perlmutter said. "But more important, this [Siemens HR Plus] PET scanner was similar in performance to our old scanner but also very reliable, which would permit us to continue longitudinal studies."

He admits that he was reluctant at first to use an independent service organization, but Marquis Medical won him over with their expertise in PET. "I had some hesitation initially because we normally purchase scanners from big companies and we've always purchased new scanners. This was a new foray with some trepidation....We talked with [Marquis Medical] and they came up with a price that was better than Siemens'. They identified this scanner and worked so smoothly with us... We were able to test it prior to purchasing it, evaluate it, and that gave us great comfort.... we do all kinds of serious testing to make sure it meets our very rigorous specs."

The replacement scanner was deinstalled from a hospital in Charleston, S.C. that upgraded to a new machine. Installing a PET scanner isn't so simple but Marquis Medical handled the task like a pro. "The installation took place in an ICU, which did create challenges," said Joseph Sciarra, Vice President of Marquis Medical, Howell, N.J. "You have to be very aware of where you are; noise and dust have to be kept to a minimum; clutter in the hallways is not acceptable; you have to be sensitive to family members you walk past. We did take the old scanner out and it is being stored in our warehouse." The company is a PET service provider specializing in Siemens PET and PET/CT including maintenance agreements, installation, support, sales, and parts.

The customer, a finicky researcher, is very satisfied. "We are really pleased with Marquis Medical; we think they did a wonderful job....With outstanding site planning and installation this was the smoothest installation I have ever seen," Perlmutter said. "Within four days they had removed our old scanner and installed the replacement scanner. It was operational. My imaging physicist did the testing on it within the next few days and it passed with flying colors. And we were operating within two weeks which is nearly unheard of for a research place."

Now, the facility's important work continues, including research on acute head injuries. "A PET scanner is way of measuring radioactivity distribution within the body and specifically for us within the brain. If we administer a radiopharmaceutical, we can see it go into the brain and how it changes over time. That permits us to measure brain function rather than just structure," Dr. Perlmutter explained. "It's used for movement disorder research, cognitive research, stroke, Alzheimer's, and epilepsy....Researchers are figuring out the path of physiology and changes in the brain associated with different conditions, and trying to develop new treatments for acute brain injuries including acute stroke." Given the particulars of their challenging job, it's interesting how the researchers chose an independent service organization for their PET needs. "At first we didn't follow up, but knew we better find out what all the options are," Perlmutter reflected, like a true scientist.

"My partners and I felt there was no choice for customers looking for PET and PET/CT service providers. Where once they had CTI and Siemens, now they just had Siemens," he explains. Thus Marquis Medical was born.

Based in Denham Springs, Louisiana, Marquis Medical specializes in the maintenance, installation and servicing of Siemens PET and PET/CT scanners. A small company with a staff of four, Marquis rests its reputation on its extensive knowledge of the Siemens product. Indeed, when Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, sought to replace its worn-out PET scanner, Marquis won the contract and the task of delicately installing a significant piece of equipment in a working, highly-complicated research hospital ICU. (See DM 4820)

"We partner with our clients," Sciarra says. "We have no as-is sales. We stick with our customers from equipment sale through transportation through installation and calibration. Plus, we give everyone a one-year guarantee. We are a total turn-key solution." While only a year old, Marquis Medical now has a wide range of customers, from research facilities such as Washington University, to private practices and other clinical and nuclear imaging centers. The company services 10 Siemens PET and PET/CT accounts and projects 20 by the end of 2008, according to the recently DOTmed Certified Sciarra. They handle deinstallation, installation, parts inventory, and new, used, rebuilt, pre-owned, parts repair, along with ACR support and sales. "We had advertised with other sites without impact," Sciarra recalls. "But DOTmed has brought us the most response. It's been very helpful to us and our business." Currently, Marquis clients are just in the United States, but the company is looking to expand into Europe. "We now have a representative in Italy," Sciarra adds. The one trend Sciarra sees in parts servicing is that there is no one mindset. "This business is constantly changing," he says. "At one time, the PET was No. One. Then the PET/CT, a hybrid, came out in 2002-2003 and changed that." Other issues of concern are the Congressional Deficient Reduction Act which cut insurance re-imbursement. Money was lost. "That's where Marquis really stepped up," Sciarra adds. "We were able to ship stand alone scanners to offset client costs. There are less direct competitors to us out there, and our company is growing."