Moving Beyond the Price Tag of Medical Equipment
Medical devices are notoriously expensive. Whether it’s a laser therapy system or a dentist’s chair, these machines represent a significant upfront investment for clinics and physicians across the globe. For small to medium-sized practices, especially, the financial burden of acquiring essential equipment can create a substantial barrier to delivering care. And the costs don’t stop at the point of purchase - ongoing maintenance, repairs, and potential downtime introduce further strain on operations and revenue.
But why are these devices so costly? The reasons range from rigorous R&D cycles and compliance with strict regulations to the need for uncompromising quality assurance and a general lack of competition in the field. Compared to markets like consumer electronics, where technology is advancing rapidly while prices are falling, the medical sector often lags in affordability and accessibility.
The Hidden Cost of Ownership
Once a clinic acquires a medical device, the story is far from over. Maintenance contracts can be complex and expensive, and if a machine malfunctions, it can halt treatments entirely, resulting in loss of income and patient dissatisfaction. In some cases, the clinic must decide whether to wait for repairs or to buy a new device altogether. This is a tough call, especially when factoring in the amortization of the initial investment.
This ownership model creates inefficiencies for both healthcare providers and medical device manufacturers. Clinics struggle with costs and risk. OEMs, on the other hand, lose visibility into how their machines are being used once they leave the warehouse, while being tied to maintenance obligations with limited real-time insights.
A Smarter Way: Pay-Per-Use Enabled by Clea
SECO is changing the game. With the integration of our cutting-edge IoT platform, Clea, medical device manufacturers can offer their equipment through a pay-per-use or subscription-based model - transforming high-cost physical goods into accessible, scalable services.
Imagine this: a clinic receives a medical device at no cost, ready to be used right away. Instead of purchasing the machine outright, the clinic simply pays for the therapies it delivers through a credit system embedded directly in the device's interface. These therapy credits can be time-based (e.g., minutes of treatment), session-based (e.g., per therapy session), subscription-based (e.g., monthly or annual credit packages), or tailored to the specific needs of the treatment scenario. Credits are purchased via a dedicated online dashboard accessible directly from the device’s screen. (See image)
SECO also offers a complete HMI (Human-Machine Interface) and logic board hardware package, most notably through its latest Modular Vision series. This range provides businesses with a selection of standard, industrial-grade displays in 7-inch (1024 × 600), 10.1-inch (1280 × 800), and 15.6-inch (1920 × 1080 Full HD) formats. Each unit features a projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen with 400 cd/m² brightness, long-life LED backlighting rated at 50,000 hours, and robust mechanical support for panel, flush, rear, or VESA mounting, making them reliable and highly adaptable to diverse medical and industrial contexts. Interfaces such as CAN-FD, RS-232/RS-485, multiple GPIOs, and standard ports like USB-C, USB-A, and Ethernet are available, all conveniently located on one side for easy installation and maintenance. An integrated heat sink in the aluminum housing ensures thermal efficiency, while customizable color and logo options help manufacturers align the device’s appearance with their own branding.
Despite these comprehensive hardware offerings, Clea’s device software remains entirely hardware-agnostic, designed to run seamlessly on any compatible system. This makes it equally easy to retrofit existing product lines or equip new ones from the ground up, with or without SECO's HMI package, ensuring maximum flexibility for OEMs pursuing a service-based model.
Why Clinics and Physicians Benefit from a Pay-Per-Use Model
For clinics and healthcare professionals, Clea’s pay-per-use model fundamentally changes the economics of operating a medical practice. The most immediate and tangible benefit is the elimination of upfront investment. Instead of facing daunting capital expenditures, practitioners receive a fully functional medical device and can begin offering therapies straight away. This removes the pressure of having to amortize the cost of an expensive machine over time, which in turn enhances their financial flexibility.
Moreover, there’s a sense of reassurance that comes with this model. If the device experiences a malfunction, it can be replaced quickly, minimizing downtime and avoiding the long delays associated with traditional maintenance procedures. This reliability not only helps safeguard clinic revenues but also ensures continuous treatment availability for patients.
The credit-based usage system built into Clea also brings clarity and predictability to cost planning. Physicians know exactly how much each therapy costs to deliver, based on the credits consumed, which makes it easier to forecast expenses and assess profitability. With this kind of transparency, expanding the scope of offered services becomes a more manageable and strategic decision rather than a financial gamble. In essence, this model doesn’t just provide equipment - it empowers clinics to scale sustainably, respond flexibly to changes in demand, and ultimately focus on delivering better care.
The OEM Perspective: From Product Sellers to Service Providers
On the manufacturer’s side, Clea unlocks an entirely new business paradigm. Device ownership is retained, which opens the door to ongoing, recurring revenue rather than a one-time transaction. This shift from selling products to providing services transforms the OEM's relationship with its clients - it becomes more continuous, more data-informed, and more profitable in the long run.
Crucially, Clea enables real-time insight into how each deployed device is being used. This visibility allows for more accurate forecasting of production needs and a deeper understanding of usage patterns. It also means that OEMs can begin to offer high-value services like predictive maintenance, ensuring that issues are detected and resolved before they lead to device failure - all remotely, without the need for in-person servicing.
Because Clea is software-based, these service offerings can scale rapidly and cost-effectively. Manufacturers no longer need to rely solely on increasing hardware output to grow their business. Instead, they can build on a stable foundation of digital services that deliver higher margins and stronger ROI. With subscription or credit-based payments providing consistent cash flow, planning for growth becomes more strategic and less reactive. What emerges is a resilient, modern business model where both the provider and the patient ultimately benefit from greater agility and smarter, connected technologies.
Reinventing the Medical Device Market
By adopting Clea, OEMs don’t just digitize their devices - they redefine how value is delivered to customers. What used to be a one-time sale becomes a long-term relationship, fueled by data, intelligence, and continuous innovation.
Meanwhile, clinics and healthcare providers benefit from accessible equipment, reliable service, and financial clarity - all of which contribute to better care delivery and a healthier bottom line.
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