About 6 years ago I purchased a tube at £5K (IGE price was double this amount) from Richardson Elecrtonics, a Varial Tube, compatible for IGE X-Ray equipment. IGE engineer fitted without realising it wasn't their tube. Everthing went fine except when the MDA heard about the case, they made a big fuss about it. The tube is still operating. I sometimes wander whether the MDA is on our side or on manufacturer's side.
I know of tube suppliers in USA as well who are very keen to supply us FDA approved tubes at half the cost. The question is how to force the major X-Ray companies to fit it.
Regards
