Ziehm Solo FD Mobile C-Arm Financing

Single-unit C-arm designs changed how smaller surgical and procedure rooms handle intraoperative fluoroscopy. Traditional mobile C-arms separate the generator trolley from the C-arm column, requiring two large pieces of equipment to share a room that may already be crowded. The Ziehm Solo FD collapses both functions into a single integrated chassis: generator, flat-panel detector, display monitors, and C-arm column all on one mobile unit. The result is a smaller room footprint and simpler maneuverability, and Ziehm sized the Solo FD for the orthopedic clinic, the pain management suite, and the smaller surgical room where a full-size two-piece C-arm does not fit or is more than the procedure list requires.

The Solo FD uses a flat-panel detector rather than an image intensifier, which is where the FD designation in the name originates. The flat-panel design provides better geometric accuracy and more uniform image quality across the field compared to the image intensifier and video chain used in older C-arm designs. For orthopedic procedures like distal radius fixation, ankle fracture plating, and fluoroscopically guided injections, the image quality improvement from a flat-panel C-arm over an image intensifier is enough that many practices specifically seek the FD version rather than the image intensifier variants in the Solo line.

Solo FD Design and Clinical Applications

The Ziehm Solo FD's integrated single-unit design builds the x-ray generator electronics into the same chassis that supports the C-arm and detector. This configuration eliminates the umbilical cable connection between a separate generator trolley and the C-arm column that two-piece designs require. In practice, the absence of a cable between the two units simplifies positioning in tight rooms, reduces trip hazards in the surgical field, and makes the unit easier for one person to position and secure during a procedure setup.

The flat-panel detector on the Solo FD supports fluoroscopic and radiographic imaging in the same session. Continuous fluoroscopy, pulsed fluoroscopy at selectable pulse rates, and full-resolution digital radiography spot exposures are all available from the same detector without hardware changes. The pulsed fluoroscopy modes allow the surgeon and technologist to reduce the average x-ray dose during prolonged fluoroscopy sessions by acquiring at a reduced pulse rate rather than continuously, which is standard ALARA practice for intraoperative cases with extended fluoroscopy times.

The C-arm geometry on the Solo FD provides a standard orbital sweep range suited to orthopedic extremity and spine procedures in the clinical size range the unit addresses. For lateral hip and lateral lumbar views, the positioning constraints of a compact C-arm are relevant: the Solo FD is not a direct replacement for a full-size mobile C-arm in procedures requiring extreme angulation or very large patient positioning range. Confirming that the Solo FD's orbital and wig-wag range covers your specific procedure list before purchase is worth doing.

Practices evaluating the Solo FD against the full-size Ziehm flat-panel option should compare it directly to the Ziehm Vision RFD, which provides larger detector area and greater positioning range for more demanding surgical cases. The complete Ziehm Imaging financing picture is on the Ziehm Imaging C-arm financing page. For smaller rooms and clinics that are comparing the Solo FD to mini C-arms, the OrthoScan FD Pulse mini C-arm is the relevant alternative at the low end of the fluoroscopy size spectrum.

Practice Types and Credit Situations We Finance

Orthopedic practices performing fracture fixation, hardware removal, and guided joint injections in a clinic or dedicated procedure room are the core buyer for the Solo FD. The compact footprint fits in rooms that could not accommodate a two-piece C-arm, and the flat-panel image quality satisfies the surgeon's need for geometric accuracy on extremity cases. Orthopedic practices of all sizes finance Solo FD units, from solo practitioners establishing a first fluoroscopy capability to multi-surgeon groups adding a second C-arm to expand room coverage.

Pain management practices that perform fluoroscopically guided injections and nerve blocks are the second buyer segment. Procedures like epidural steroid injections, facet blocks, and radiofrequency ablation require continuous or pulsed fluoroscopy for needle guidance, and a flat-panel C-arm produces the image clarity these procedures require. Pain management clinics adding fluoroscopy capability or upgrading from an image intensifier C-arm find the Solo FD a right-sized option for procedure rooms that will not support a full-size C-arm.

A and B credit practices qualify under standard underwriting. We also work with C credit situations through our B/C credit equipment financing program, which handles practices with past delinquencies, tax liens, or thin credit history that would not meet standard criteria. The additional risk is priced into the rate, but approval is possible for practices with solid current cash flow despite past credit events.

Established practices with owned equipment can explore equipment refinancing on existing imaging assets to generate working capital for a Solo FD purchase without using up their primary credit line. Refinancing an owned imaging asset and using the proceeds as a down payment on the Solo FD is a path some practices take to reduce the financed amount and the resulting monthly payment.

Related Financing Paths