Article

Cutting the Calibration Journey from Weeks to Minutes

When an optical tracker falls outside its accuracy threshold, it can set off a service process that takes more time and coordination than expected.

By: Team NDI

When a factory correction is required, the logistics are similar across the industry:

The Field Service Engineer (FSE) travels to the site and performs an accuracy check.
The result sits outside the accuracy threshold, so the FSE swaps in a spare unit from the service pool.
The affected tracker is shipped to the OEM.
From the OEM, it’s shipped to the manufacturer for service.
The tracker is calibrated and its accuracy restored.
The serviced tracker ships back to the OEM.
It re-enters refurbished stock or returns to the clinical site.

The question is “What if there was an easier way to handle tracker calibration and efficiently reduce this logistical path?”

With Polaris IFC you can keep your Polaris Lyra in the field, not in transit.

Let’s compare the 2 paths to the same outcome.

Look beyond the correction itself. Freight, engineer visits, inventory and ongoing service all contribute to the picture.

Return, repair and replace

Check and correct on-site

No tracker freight. No spare unit consumed.

The tracker stays on-site for accuracy correction.

FSE = field service engineer. OEM = original equipment manufacturer. Cost components shown; monetary amounts are not included.

Since freight costs, FSE time, and spare inventory investment vary by OEM, it’s difficult to put an exact cost on the conventional process.

What we can state is time:

An accuracy check takes under 2 minutes.*
An accuracy correction takes under 10 minutes.*
Factory correction at the manufacturer site can take weeks, driven by four shipments and time spent in the service queue. That time gap is where the cost adds up.

Start with one real service event: an optical tracker that was found outside threshold in the field.

Then estimate the cost and time for each step based on your own operation.

The Polaris IFC Kit can be used for multiple Polaris Lyra trackers and sites. Unlimited accuracy checks are included with the kit.

Your spare pool can get smaller. Correcting the optical tracker directly on site, reduces the need for spare units on the shelf.
You can plan ahead. IFC reports near-threshold warnings, so you can see a tracker approaching its limit well before it crosses it. That turns an unplanned visit into a scheduled one.

Talk to NDI about how Polaris IFC can help keep your optical trackers in the field and simplify your service workflow.