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Practice economics · 6 min read

How long does an ultrasound machine take to pay for itself?

By Dr. Swati Kshirsagar · 18 September 2026

Start with three numbers: average scans per day, average fee per scan, and the total machine investment including probes.

Monthly gross ≈ scans per day × fee × working days (about 26). Divide machine cost by monthly gross to get an approximate payback period in months.

Eight scans a day at ₹900 gives roughly ₹1.87 lakh per month — an ₹18 lakh machine would pay back in about 10 months, before running costs.

The bigger lever is often procurement: choosing the right probes and software for your caseload, and not paying for features you won't use.

Learn this at the bedside.