Apparatus unit replacement assisting method and system

• US 7,363,255 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Rifu, Toshihiro, Katada, Kazuhiro, Nagata, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy; Andrew Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADE, OGER GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US10/668,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

By providing an apparatus unit replacement assisting method, in which, upon receipt of a request from a first user to replace a first unit comprising part of an apparatus with a second unit, the second unit is offered to the first user at a price after the deduction of the trade-in price of the first unit, and maintenance is performed on the first unit taken from the first user for trade-in, so that the first unit in maintenance status is offered to a second user who wishes replacement with the first unit at a price lower than the price of the first unit when newly purchased, it is possible to reduce the cost incurred when replacing a unit in a CT apparatus or the like on the part of the user, such as a hospital, and facilitate the management of the production line of the apparatus and the dispatch of service persons on the part of the manufacturer while making a contribution to environmental improvement.

Claims

1. An apparatus unit replacement assisting method, comprising:

receiving, from a first user apparatus, request information expressing a wish to replace a first detector in a first X-ray CT apparatus with a second detector;

receiving, from a second user apparatus different from said first user apparatus, release information informing release of the second detector in a second X-ray CT apparatus usable in said first X-ray CT apparatus;

presenting inquiry information to said first user apparatus communicating via a computer whether a first user is going to use a refurbished second detector as the second detector for said first X-ray CT apparatus,

wherein said refurbished second detector is the second detector.

2. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

making a provisional contract with said first user apparatus when information expressing a wish to use said second detector is received from said first user apparatus in response to the inquiry.

3. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first detector and said second detector have substantially a same capability.

4. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, wherein:

presenting the inquiry information includes offering maintenance for said second detector.

5. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating and receiving a trade-in price of said second detector in said second user apparatus where said second detector may be replaced with a third detector.

6. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 5, wherein:

receiving the trade-in price includes receiving in said second user apparatus a price of said third detector after deduction of the trade-in price of said second detector.

7. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 5, wherein:

receiving the trade-in price includes, making a trial calculation of the trade-in price by adding expenses needed for replacement including a transportation fee to a trade-in base price, judging a value of a trade-in from the trial calculation, and receiving the trade-in price in the second user apparatus when the trade-in is determined to be profitable.

8. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 5, further comprising:

receiving operation history information through an on-line or off-line transmission in a case where said apparatus is configured to automatically record the operation history information during use, and determining a value of a trade-in with understanding of a use status of said second detector for trade-in from the operation history information,

wherein receiving the trade-in price includes determining the trade-in price based on a result of the value determination.

9. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, wherein:

presenting the inquiry information includes presenting said first user apparatus a replacement cost lower than a price of said second detector when newly purchased.

10. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from said first user apparatus whether said second detector as a desired replacement unit is a new unit or a secondhand unit or whether a secondhand unit is acceptable.

11. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from said second user apparatus information related to post-treatment of said second detector.

12. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information about a maintenance fee of said second detector by said second user apparatus.

13. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving expenses needed for replacement with said second detector by said first user apparatus.

14. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a dispatch date of a service person who performs detector replacement by said first user apparatus.

15. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

confirming a reply from said first user apparatus; and

managing at least one of a production line in a factory, a detector maintenance line, and dispatch of a service person, depending on the reply from said first user apparatus.

16. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a third user apparatus different from said first and second user apparatus, request information expressing a wish to use said first detector in a third apparatus.

17. An apparatus unit replacing assisting method, according to claim 1, wherein the first detector and the second detector are multi slice detectors, and the second detector is configured to collect a greater number of slices than the first detector.

18. An apparatus unit replacing assisting method, according to claim 1, wherein the first detector is a single slice detector, and the second detector is a multi slice detector.

19. An apparatus unit replacing assisting method, according to claim 1, wherein the first detector and the second detector include data acquisition systems relating to the multi slice detector.

20. An apparatus unit replacing assisting method, according to claim 1, wherein the first detector and the second detector include data acquisition systems relating to the single slice detector and the multi slice detector.

21. An apparatus unit replacing assisting method, according to claim 1, wherein the first detector and the second detector include software for reconfiguration.

22. An apparatus unit replacing assisting method, according to claim 1, wherein the first detector and the second detector include software for reconfiguration.

23. An apparatus unit replacement assisting method, comprising:

receiving, from a first user apparatus, request information expressing a wish to replace a first magnetic field coil in a first MRI apparatus with a second magnetic field coil;

receiving, from a second user apparatus different from said first user apparatus, release information informing release of a second magnetic field coil in a second MRI apparatus usable in said first MRI apparatus;

presenting inquiry information to said first user apparatus communicating via a computer whether a first user is going to use a refurbished second magnetic field coil as the second magnetic field coil for said first MRI apparatus,

wherein said refurbished second magnetic field coil is the second magnetic field coil.

24. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 23, further comprising:

making a provisional contract with said first user apparatus when information expressing a wish to use said second magnetic field coil is received from said first user apparatus in response to the inquiry.

25. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 23, wherein:

presenting the inquiry information includes offering maintenance for said second magnetic field coil.

26. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 23, further comprising:

calculating and receiving a trade-in price of said second magnetic field coil in said second user apparatus where said second magnetic field coil may be replaced with a third magnetic field coil.

27. The apparatus unit replacement assisting method according to claim 26, wherein:

receiving the trade-in price includes receiving in said second user apparatus a price of said third magnetic field coil after deduction of the trade-in price of said second magnetic field coil.