What Does the MODULITH® SLX-F2 »Transportable« Cost?

STORZ MEDICAL's semi-stationary ESWL system carries no public list price — here's what secondary markets and secondary data reveal, and what to expect when you open a quote.

STORZ MEDICAL does not publish list pricing for the MODULITH® SLX-F2 »transportable« on its US or international commercial sites, and no GSA schedule entry for this specific configuration has been verified as of May 2025. MedSource does not yet have aggregate quote data for this model; this article will be updated as facility quotes accrue. Based on secondary-market listings for the SLX-F2 platform (all variants) and publicly available data on comparable premium electromagnetic ESWL systems, buyers should budget a rough range of $350,000–$750,000 for a new configured system — a span driven primarily by optional therapy source selection, imaging add-ons, the C-arm package (which is procured separately), and regional distribution markups. Certified refurbished units have appeared in the $106,000–$311,000 corridor. The single biggest lever on final price is whether the dual-focus therapy source and automated positioning software are included.

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What the Typical Range Is

Because STORZ MEDICAL sells through a direct and distributor channel with negotiated institutional pricing, verified transaction prices are scarce. The most granular public proxy is the Bimedis used-equipment exchange, which tracks an average asking price of approximately $208,767 for the Modulith SLX F2 platform, with a price range of $106,408–$311,126 across all listed variants. These are asking prices for used units, not transaction prices, and they span multiple SLX-F2 configurations (transportable, connect, FD21), so the figure should be treated as a directional floor for secondary-market activity rather than a new-unit benchmark.

For new systems, publicly available ESWL capital equipment data suggests that premium electromagnetic lithotripters in this tier — from STORZ MEDICAL and comparable manufacturers — typically enter the market above $400,000 once C-arm, software, and standard warranty are included. The transportable configuration is architecturally less complex than the stationary FD21 variant, which should translate to a lower entry price, but no independently verifiable new-unit list price exists for this article. Treat any figure below $300,000 for a new unit with skepticism.

The MODULITH® SLX-F2 »transportable« is an FDA-cleared Class II device (product code LNS, 510(k) pathway), confirmed active in FDA MAUDE reporting.

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What Pushes Price Up — Features, Certifications, Support Tier

STORZ MEDICAL's proprietary patented cylinder-source technology provides a focal depth of up to 180 mm — and the higher-penetration therapy source is an optional upgrade. Selecting it adds measurable cost to the base unit.

Key price escalators:

• Dual shock-wave focus option. The transportable platform supports an optional dual shock-wave focus , which allows clinicians to tailor energy delivery per patient indication. This is an add-on, not standard.
• StorM-Touch + LithoPos® bundle. The optional automated LithoPos stone positioning system is integrated into the StorM-Touch platform . Bundling this software package raises the configured price.
• DICOM/HL7 integration tier. The system integrates with existing internal hospital networks via DICOM and HL7 interface standards , but the depth of HIS/RIS integration licensed at time of sale affects software licensing cost.
• C-arm pairing. The modular design allows the workstation to be tailored to specific requirements and used with different X-ray systems . A compatible mobile C-arc is a separate capital line item — budget $80,000–$200,000 depending on detector type and manufacturer.
• 225 kg patient weight limit with enhanced therapy source. The SLX-F2 has an exceptionally high weight limit of 225 kg and is equipped with an optional therapy source with a penetration depth of up to 180 mm . Selecting the high-penetration source adds cost versus the standard configuration.
• IEC 60601-1 third-edition compliance documentation and formal FAT (factory acceptance testing) may add cost when required by a facility's biomedical engineering department.

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What Pushes Price Down — Refurbished, Older Generation, Lease, GPO Contracts

• Certified refurbished units. Secondary-market asking prices for SLX-F2 platform units start around $106,000. Verify ISO 13485–compliant refurbishment, component-level service history, and remaining therapy-head shot count before committing.
• Rental/per-procedure models. The Karl Storz Modulith SLX-F2 is available to rent through at least one US surgical equipment rental provider (Agiliti). Per-procedure or monthly rental eliminates capital outlay and shifts maintenance obligations to the vendor; rental rates were not publicly disclosed at time of writing.
• Semi-stationary flexibility as a negotiating point. The semi-stationary concept can be combined with mobile C-arcs for localization; direct system access is available without readjusting system components, and since no installation measures are necessary, the workstation can be transferred to a different room. This reduces the facility-preparation scope, and buyers should negotiate the installation credit into the capital price.
• GPO contracts. Verify whether your group purchasing organization (Vizient, Premier, HealthTrust) carries a current KARL STORZ/STORZ MEDICAL agreement; GPO pricing on capital imaging and lithotripsy equipment can reduce list price by 10–20%.
• End-of-fiscal-year purchasing. Distributor reps operating on calendar-year quotas are most flexible in Q4 (October–December).

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Hidden Costs — Install, Training, Calibration, Consumables, Service Contracts

Typical costs of operating a lithotripter unit include costs of technical and nursing staff, administration, insurance, supplies (such as X-ray film, electrodes), and the maintenance contract for the machine.

Line items procurement officers routinely underestimate:

Cost Category	Estimated Range	Notes
Room prep / electrical	$10,000–$75,000	Depends on existing OR infrastructure; transportable design minimizes but does not eliminate this
C-arm (if not owned)	$80,000–$200,000	Separate capital purchase; confirm compatibility before signing
Initial clinical training	$5,000–$15,000	On-site application specialist; may be included in Year 1 service contract
Annual service contract	8–12% of system price	Industry norm for Class II ESWL systems; confirm OEM vs. ISO third-party options
Therapy-head calibration / QA	$2,000–$5,000/year	Required to maintain IEC 60601-2-36 compliance and institutional credentialing
Radiation safety survey (if X-ray is configured)	$1,500–$4,000 one-time	State licensing requirement in most US jurisdictions
StorM-Base software license renewal	Vendor-quoted; not publicly listed	Confirm whether annual SaaS or perpetual license

The cost of a new ESWL machine is still high, and there is considerable maintenance cost. Service contracts on high-complexity electromagnetic systems often run 8–12% of original purchase price annually, which on a $500,000 system implies $40,000–$60,000/year before consumables.

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How to Negotiate — Concrete Tactics

1. Demand an itemized quote. Insist on separate line items for the base lithotripter, therapy source upgrade, software licenses, C-arm interface, installation, training, and Year 1 service. Bundled pricing obscures where margin lives.
2. Benchmark against the used market. Use the $106K–$311K secondary-market corridor as a floor reference; for a new system, ask the rep to justify the premium over a certified refurbished unit in writing.
3. Negotiate consumable pricing at point of sale. Coupling electrode and accessory consumables to the capital contract at locked pricing for 3–5 years yields long-term savings that can equal or exceed the capital discount.
4. Request a loaner/rental clause. Given that sustained OR efficiency and profitability require trained technicians and reliable, functional equipment, and even brief surgical case delays quickly translate to lost revenue , negotiate a loaner-unit provision for downtime exceeding 48–72 hours. Get it in writing.
5. Leverage the C-arm separately. Because the transportable system works with various C-arcs, you are not captive to STORZ MEDICAL's preferred imaging partner. Use competitive C-arm bids to reduce the total solution cost or to extract better pricing on the lithotripter itself.
6. Multi-year service pre-pay discount. Vendors commonly offer 5–10% off service contract cost for 3-year prepaid agreements. Only accept this if the vendor provides an SLA with response-time guarantees and parts availability commitments for at least 7 years post-purchase.

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When the Price Feels Off — Red Flags

• New-unit quotes under $300,000 without a documented explanation (e.g., stripped configuration, no C-arm, demo unit) warrant scrutiny. Premium electromagnetic ESWL systems at this specification do not typically land at that price new.
• Used units with no shot-count documentation. Therapy heads have finite life cycles measured in pulses. Require full service history and shot-count logs from the previous facility.
• No FDA 510(k) reference on quote documentation. Confirm the exact model and configuration are covered by an active FDA clearance. The FDA MAUDE database confirms the "MODULITH SLX-F2 TRANSPORTABLE LITHOTRIPTOR" as a registered device; any variant or accessory modifications should be separately verified.
• Service contracts excluding the therapy head or imaging subsystem. Some contracts cover the base unit only. Clarify the scope in writing before signing.
• Rental-to-own structures with no independent appraisal. Residual values on lithotripters depreciate sharply after year 5; ensure any buyout option reflects fair market value benchmarked to secondary-market data.

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Sources

1. STORZ MEDICAL US product page — MODULITH SLX-F2 »transportable«: storzmedical.com
2. KARL STORZ Lithotripsy product overview — SLX-F2 transportable: karlstorzlitho.com
3. Bimedis secondary-market exchange — Modulith SLX F2 used pricing: bimedis.com
4. FDA MAUDE adverse event database — MODULITH SLX-F2 TRANSPORTABLE LITHOTRIPTOR: accessdata.fda.gov
5. Agiliti surgical equipment rental — Modulith SLX-F2 ESWL: agilitihealth.com

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Disclosure: MedSource has not yet collected direct facility quotes for the MODULITH® SLX-F2 »transportable«. All price ranges in this article are derived from secondary-market asking prices, publicly available industry cost data, and analogous ESWL capital equipment benchmarks. This article will be revised as verified quote data accrues. For budget purposes, obtain at minimum three written quotes from the manufacturer's direct sales team and at least one independent refurbisher before finalizing a capital request.