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Corporate Profiles Suni Medical Imaging
Corporate Profiles Suni Medical Imaging
Suni Medical Imaging
Perpetually focused on the needs of its customers, Suni recognizes that each clinical specialty has its own unique set of requirements when it comes to digital imaging. That’s why Suni recently partnered with one of the world’s leading developers of three-dimensional imaging to launch the Suni3D, one of the few cone beam units on the market with an ideal field of view (FOV) for endodontic procedures.
Bill Fitzpatrick, CEO and President,
Bill Fitzpatrick—CEO
What kind of impact do you think Suni has had on the dental industry?
The transition from film to digital has been one of the most significant developments in the history of dentistry and our founder, Paul Suni, had a strong hand in its evolution. In the mid-1980s, he was one of the first engineers in the world to design digital sensors for dental applications. In 1998, he began producing sensors for some of the leading brands in digital radiography, and in 2002, he launched the Suni brand sensor in Europe. Two years later Suni brand sensors were introduced in the United States and the rest, as they say, is history. To this day Suni continues to develop and manufacture innovative digital sensors. In addition, in collaboration with one of the leading innovators in cone beam imaging, the company has broadened its product portfolio to include panoramic, cephalometric, and three-dimensional imaging systems.
Where do you think the company will be headed in the next 5 years?
Suni’s strategic goal is to become one of the leading total solution providers of digital imaging systems for dental practitioners, and we are well on our way. We are already the value leader when it comes to digital sensor systems, and we are rapidly expanding our product offering to include other imaging modalities. Recognizing that each clinical specialty has its own unique imaging requirements, we are now focused on developing products that are designed specifically for targeted clinical applications, especially endodontics, orthodontics, and implantology. Five years from now we will have a broad array of innovative digital imaging systems for clinical specialists here and abroad. We already serve customers in more than 80 countries around the world, and we expect that number to grow dramatically over the next 5 years.
Mona Bedi
What can customers expect from the technical support organization at Suni?
Great customer service is the underpinning of every successful business, and Suni is no exception. At Suni, great service begins with the personal relationship that we develop with each individual customer. Our support team thrives on providing personalized service for each dental client, and they rely on the latest communication technologies to provide it. With technical equipment come technical questions, and our customer-support technicians are fully equipped to provide the answers.
What are some of these new methods of connecting with your client?
In addition to the standard remote trouble-shooting sessions that our techs provide every day, we offer several other ways for our customers to get in contact with technical experts. For example, we now offer Live Chat and Web Based Training. Live Chat allows dental practitioners to connect faster with technical specialists.
Web-based training is another way to provide convenient support to our clients who are looking for answers to their technical questions. If an endodontist who is a new user finds he has a software-related question while using the cone beam system, all he has to do is go to our website, log in to the Suni Live Chat, and get assistance immediately from a live technician here in Silicon Valley.
What advantages do digital sensors offer that film does not?
By its very nature, film is somewhat limiting in its applications, especially in the field of endodontics. Because endodontists typically take a number of images throughout each procedure, the amount of patient chair time is expanded by the time it takes to produce these images, which creates real cost for the practice and inconvenience for the patient. X-ray film doesn’t lend itself to this process because of the extended time and cost associated with developing the images. Digital sensors, on the other hand, significantly shorten the time line and involve less cost per procedure. In addition, the resolution is frequently better due to image-enhancement software, and the images can be conveniently stored electronically in the patient’s file, or emailed instantly to another practitioner.
What steps does your manufacturing team take to separate Suni from its competitors?
Because the chip and the sensor are designed by us, we have the ability to control all aspects of quality, product performance, and cost. Some of our competitors outsource assembled components and in some cases, the entire sensor, so there is no way for them to ensure that all steps in the production process have been handled correctly. We control everything, from the design of the chip all the way to the delivery of our product to the practitioner, and everything is manufactured right in our facility in Silicon Valley. We have an intimate knowledge of our product, and it shows in our quality and in our pricing.
Paul Tucker
How does Suni differentiate itself in today’s dental marketplace?
Suni is a market-driven company and we respond to the needs of the market through concentrated product development efforts. We constantly talk with our customers and input their suggestions into our product development and marketing efforts to ensure that we are providing a superior and innovative line of intraoral sensors, as well as extraoral and 3D imaging systems. We target specific products for specific specialties. In this way, we are sure that we are meeting the needs of our customers, whether they are endodontists, orthodontists, periodontists, or general practitioners.
In what ways is Suni addressing the current needs of the endodontist?
Endodontics has always been a primary focus for Suni. The integrated digital solutions that we provide are a perfect fit for all endodontic procedures. Using our intraoral sensor systems, practitioners can capture 2D images quickly and efficiently to track the progress of their procedures. Our Suni3D cone beam system takes endodontists even further by providing them with a way to image dentition and anatomical landmarks that they cannot see with traditional 2D imaging. With Suni3D, practitioners can validate preliminary diagnoses and construct the most effective treatment plans, thereby ensuring the best possible outcomes for their patient care.
If I were an endodontist, why should I invest in Suni’s 3D system instead of your competitors’?
Suni3D System is one of the few systems on the market with a focused small FOV. This means that only the area for which information is needed is captured on the image. Think about it—how often do endodontists work on multiple teeth at the same time, or do multiple root canals? They usually don’t. So, Suni3D is the perfect system for them. Our 5´5 cm and 8´5 cm systems capture areas consisting of about 3 to 6 teeth, perfect for endodontic procedures. Since the smaller FOV requires a limited amount of radiation, it is also much safer for the patient.
Another benefit to the practitioner is that the small FOV limits the amount of patient anatomy appearing on the image. The practitioner is liable for diagnosing any pathology that appears on the image, dental or not, so larger FOVs have the potential to create an unnecessary liability for the endodontic practitioner. Why open yourself up to that risk when, in reality, you don’t need all of that data to treat your patients?
Lastly, Suni3D image quality is second to none. Our current installed base of customers attest to that fact every day. The images are unequivocally the best that are available in the marketplace, and that’s what it comes down to. Which system provides the best image quality? I can confidently say that the Suni3D system does just that. That’s why Suni3D represents the best overall value for the endodontist.
