Aixplorer End of Service: Which Systems the 2023 Letter Covers

Which systems and software versions does the 10 May 2023 letter name?

The document is a one-page Hologic customer letter dated 10 May 2023. The title is "Product End of Life Notice & End of Service For Aixplorer 4-connector systems (Aixplorer and Aixplorer Ultimate)." The footer reference is MISC-09014_Rev002. It is signed by Massimo Rosa, Director, Ultrasound Marketing, and Christophe Pouillon, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Quality. Questions about the notice go to the address printed on the letter, breasthealth.support@hologic.com. ¹

The scope sentence says: "We are writing today to inform you of the End of Life and End of Service for Aixplorer 4-connector and Aixplorer Ultimate ultrasound systems (V7.x to V12.x software versions)." Those are the product words and the software band. A scanner whose label uses different words, or whose displayed software is outside V7.x to V12.x, is not established as inside this letter by the SuperSonic name alone. ¹

The public PDF address contains the filename "Aixplorer Gen II and Aixplorer Ultimate_End of Life Notice_May 10 2023.pdf." The letter text does not define Gen II, and it does not tell the reader to look for a Gen II mark on the chassis. Use the words that are printed on the system label and the software version the system displays. The letter does not give a menu path. Record the version string the console actually shows. ¹

The same limit applies to connector counts. The letter says "4-connector." It does not describe connector shape, and it does not create a separate "2-connector Aixplorer" category. A catalog part whose name includes "2 interfaces" is a parts-list phrase, discussed later. It is not a second system family in this letter. ¹

How do the end-of-sale date, the 31 October 2023 contract cap, and the seven-year installation clock differ?

The letter does not set one shutdown day. It states three different clocks, and collapsing them is the usual reading error. ¹

End of sale, 29 January 2021. The letter says: "Effective January 29, 2021, Aixplorer 4-connector and Aixplorer Ultimate ultrasound systems were declared End of Sale." That sentence declares end of sale. It does not state a manufacturing stop date, a warranty end date, or a parts-depletion date. Do not add those consequences from the words "end of sale" alone. ¹

Contract renewals, capped at 31 October 2023. The next paragraph has three sentences, and they are not the same rule. "Ultrasound Solutions Corporation, a contracted service partner for Hologic, Inc., will continue to provide service for customers whose service contracts are currently in effect until their contract end date. Service contract renewals will be allowed through Ultrasound Solutions Corporation, and their end date will not exceed October 31, 2023. New contracts are not available." Existing contracts run to their own end dates. Renewals were still allowed, with an end date that will not exceed 31 October 2023. New contracts are not available. On 1 October 2026 that cap is about two years and eleven months in the past. The letter does not say that every SuperSonic system lost all OEM service on 31 October 2023, and it does not say the cap is a statute. ¹

Best-effort corrective maintenance, seven years after installation. A separate sentence follows: "Best effort corrective maintenance will be provided for seven years post installation date." The letter does not define "best effort." It does not say which document proves installation, whether seven years is counted to the anniversary, or whether there is a grace period. It also does not say that the window is a post-warranty period or that it ends when a depot runs out of parts. Those are interpretations, not sentences in the letter. ¹

Any seventh-anniversary date below is calendar arithmetic from the words "seven years post installation date." It is not a customer record and not a Hologic billing rule.

• Seven calendar years after an illustrative installation on 1 June 2016 is 1 June 2023. That illustration is already past on 1 October 2026.
• Seven calendar years after an illustrative installation on 15 September 2018 is 15 September 2025. That illustration is also already past.
• Seven calendar years after an illustrative installation on 29 January 2021, the letter's end-of-sale date, is 29 January 2028. That illustration is still ahead on 1 October 2026.

The spread is the point. A 2019 installation is not automatically still inside the illustration: seven calendar years after 1 January 2019 is 1 January 2026, which is already past. A late installation near 29 January 2021 can still fall inside an anniversary illustration on 1 October 2026. The fleet is not uniformly open or uniformly closed. The multi-brand end-of-service playbook is the page for how to read an OEM letter across a mixed fleet. It does not parse this Hologic document. ¹

No document checked for this page states whether Ultrasound Solutions Corporation still sells service in 2026. The letter remains the source for the renewal cap. It is not a current corporate-status report on that company.

Does a MACH 10, 20, 30, or 40 system fall inside this letter?

No. The only MACH sentence in the letter is an invitation, not a coverage line: "If you are interested in learning more about our latest ultrasound product, SuperSonic MACH, please contact your local Hologic representative for more information." A summary that calls MACH the direct upgrade, or that drops the V7.x to V12.x band, is adding a recommendation and omitting a limit. The letter tells the reader to ask Hologic. It does not say MACH 10, 20, 30, or 40 is end of service, and it does not say MACH replaces every 4-connector system. ¹

FDA 510(k) database pages separate the trade names. They do not supply the software band, and the letter does not cite them. Every record below lists applicant Supersonic Imagine, regulation 892.1550, classification product code IYN, subsequent product codes ITX and IYO, and a substantially equivalent decision. None of the pages states software V7.x to V12.x. Mapping K171105 or K173021 onto that band, or mapping K091970 or K132274 onto a V5 or V6 band, is not supported by these pages. ^{2 3 7 8}

K180572, decided 29 May 2018, uses the device name AIXPLORER MACH Ultrasound Diagnostic Systems and the trade names Aixplorer Mach 30, Aixplorer Mach 20, and Aixplorer Mach 10. K202455, a Special 510(k) decided 29 December 2020, includes Aixplorer MACH20, Aixplorer MACH30, Supersonic MACH40, and related MACH20 and MACH30 names. That decision is before the letter's 29 January 2021 end-of-sale date, so MACH 40 is already on a clearance that predates the Aixplorer end-of-sale sentence. K203645, decided 29 June 2021, names Aixplorer MACH30/SUPERSONIC MACH30, Aixplorer MACH20/SUPERSONIC MACH20, and SUPERSONIC MACH40. Its decision date is after 29 January 2021. That sequence shows MACH clearances on both sides of the Aixplorer end-of-sale date. It is not a 2026 statement that OEM contracts for MACH remain available, and it is not a description of what the Special 510(k) changed. ^{4 5 6}

The SUPERSONIC MACH 40 User's Guide, PM.LAB.126 Rev A, is a different document. It recommends annual maintenance by a Hologic authorized representative. It says all repairs must be conducted by a Hologic authorized representative. It also says the user can perform the maintenance operations described in its own Chapter 10. Those sentences belong to the MACH 40 guide. They do not amend MISC-09014, they do not make independent servicing unlawful, and this page does not copy Chapter 10. ¹²

Why can a software version and installation date block a board quote?

The letter is a scope document. It becomes a parts order only after someone adds a part number the letter does not contain. Three missing facts are enough to stop that order. ¹

The software string is the applicability test. V7.x to V12.x is the band the letter names. A quote that says only "Aixplorer" cannot show that the letter applies, and it cannot show that the letter does not apply. The 510(k) pages above do not fill that gap. They do not state a software version, so a clearance number is not a substitute for the version on the screen. ^{1 2}

The installation date is the seven-year test. Without the date, and without the document that shows it, nobody can tell whether the best-effort sentence might still cover that serial. Buying a repair while that question is open can spend the budget before anyone has asked Hologic the question the letter itself points to breasthealth.support@hologic.com. The reverse is also true: an installation whose illustrative anniversary is already past is not a reason to invent a board. ¹

The public catalog does not close the gap. It has one SuperSonic row. The part name is "PC(2 interfaces) SP00781." The model label is "SuperSonic." No manufacturer part number is listed. "2 interfaces" is the name of that row. It is not a 2-connector Aixplorer system, and it is not evidence that the part fits an Aixplorer 4-connector or Aixplorer Ultimate. Do not order it as a matched board. This page does not publish a symptom-to-board map, because that map is not in the letter and not in the catalog row.

Do not open an energized system, bypass an interlock, or defeat a protective earth to identify a board. Do not return a scanner to clinical use because an end-of-service letter has been read. Electrical-safety and performance checks belong to a qualified service provider and to the facility before clinical use. The boundary between servicing and remanufacturing is the subject of the FDA servicing and remanufacturing boundary, not a conclusion this Hologic letter can settle. ¹

Which older Aixplorer notice is a disinfectant-list recall rather than this end-of-service letter?

Search results for Aixplorer service still surface Health Canada recall RA-71571. It is a different event. The starting date is 27 January 2012. The posting date is 2 April 2012. The hazard classification is Type II. The identification number on the page is RA-71571. The source-of-recall field says Health Canada. The reason says SuperSonic Imagine identified an error in the user's guide list of recommended cleaners and disinfectants. The disinfectants recommended for the SE12-3 are not all high-level disinfectants. The notice says the SE12-3 is used in a semi-critical application and should be cleaned and high-level disinfected after use. The affected-product heading calls it Probe SE12-3. The reason line on the archived page prints "SE12-3 Robe," which is the page's own wording next to that heading. ⁹

The catalog numbers on the notice are main unit SSIP90019, linear probe SSIP09002, curved array probe SSIP90030, and probe SE12-3 SSIP90068. The page does not describe a board failure, an end-of-sale date, or a service-contract cap. It also does not publish the corrective-action method, so this article does not invent a manual insert or a chemical list. Do not copy a disinfectant from a 2012 notice. Current probe reprocessing belongs to the current OEM instructions and to the probe high-level disinfection boundary. ⁹

A second false match is Hologic's public imaging obsolescence index. The HTML retrieved on 1 October 2026 has visible sections for screening and mammography, skeletal and bone-density systems, breast biopsy and surgery, workflow products, and Fluoroscan mini C-arm systems. That retrieved HTML contains no Aixplorer, SuperSonic, MACH, ultrasound, or MISC-09014 string. The direct PDF address for the 10 May 2023 letter still returned the letter. Absence from the index is not withdrawal of the PDF. The finding is limited to the HTML retrieved. It is not a claim about every Hologic template. ^{1 10}

The same index links a newer letter that is easy to misread as an ultrasound update. Hologic's "US Product Components End of Support Notice," August 2026, REV 002 MISC-11752, is addressed to Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions customers. It discusses Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB and Windows Server Standard 2016 on named mammography, 3Dimensions, Trident HD, Fluoroscan InSight FD, Horizon DXA, SecurView, and Advanced Workflow Manager computers. Scheduled dates in that letter include 13 October 2026 and 12 January 2027. The letter does not name Aixplorer, SuperSonic, MACH, or ultrasound. It is not a revision of MISC-09014. ¹¹

When does an Aixplorer service issue become a board or probe quote?

After the letter's scope is known, and not before. A symptom without a label is not yet a parts request. Use this order. ¹

1. Read the trade name on the rating plate. Record Aixplorer, Aixplorer Ultimate, or the MACH name that is actually printed. If the plate says MACH 10, 20, 30, or 40, stop using MISC-09014 as the service letter.
2. Record the software version the system displays. If it is outside V7.x to V12.x, say so. Do not convert a 510(k) number into a software version.
3. Find the installation date and the document that shows it. If the date is missing, the seven-year sentence cannot be applied. If the illustrative anniversary is still ahead, ask Hologic, at the address on the letter, whether best-effort corrective maintenance is still available for that serial before buying a private repair.
4. Write the symptom in the operator's words. Include the error text on the screen. Do not relabel a dark image, a reboot, or a dead control panel as a named board.
5. Separate an observation from a diagnosis. If a fault follows one probe across sockets, say that. If it stays with one socket across probes the site already trusts, say that. Those notes help a later review. They do not identify a channel board, a power supply, or a host computer.
6. Photograph what is already visible. Photograph the system label. If a board is already out of the system, photograph both sides, including the etched part number and revision. Do not open an energized system to take the picture.

Where Rongtao fits, and where it does not

Rongtao Medical is not Hologic, not SuperSonic Imagine, and not Ultrasound Solutions Corporation. The 2023 letter names Ultrasound Solutions Corporation as a contracted service partner for the contracts it describes. It does not appoint an independent service company, and it does not authorize Rongtao to act for Hologic. ¹

On this site, SuperSonic is an on-request brand. The published model line is Aixplorer and Mach, on request. Coverage is limited and is scoped case by case. SuperSonic is outside the core brand list. The core list includes GE Healthcare, Philips, Siemens / Acuson, Hitachi, Mindray, Samsung Medison, Toshiba (Canon), Aloka, and Biosound Esaote. OEM names on that list identify equipment Rongtao services. They are not an authorization or an endorsement by those manufacturers. The brand route is SuperSonic on-request coverage.

Where a scoped repair is accepted, the published service facts are general, not Aixplorer-specific. The repair center is a 3,000 m² technical and warehousing center in Guangzhou. The engineering figure is 35+ senior engineers. Service spans 140+ countries. Every repaired board runs for 48 hours inside an actual ultrasound system before release. Typical board-repair turnaround is 5 to 8 business days. The typical warranty is 90 days, with the final term confirmed by the item and the service. Those sentences are not a stock promise, a price, a repairability rate, or a success rate for Aixplorer. The service overview is ultrasound repair services.

Quote-ready technical handoff checklist

Send the case through contact with the items below. "Aixplorer board needed" is not a quotable request.

1. Trade name printed on the system label, and the serial number.
2. Software version string copied from the system, not from a 510(k) number.
3. Installation date, and the acceptance sheet or other record that shows it.
4. Symptom and any error text, in the operator's words.
5. Photos of the system label. If a board is already removed, photos of both sides and the etched part number.
6. Whether the fault followed one probe or stayed with one socket.
7. Quantity and destination country.

Frequently asked questions

Did every SuperSonic ultrasound lose OEM service on 31 October 2023?
No. In MISC-09014_Rev002, 31 October 2023 is the date a renewal end date will not exceed. Contracts already in effect continue until their own end date. New contracts are not available. Best-effort corrective maintenance is a separate sentence: seven years post installation date. The letter does not put MACH 10, 20, 30, or 40 under either clock. ¹

Does the 2023 letter declare SuperSonic MACH systems end of service?
No. MACH appears in one invitation to contact a local Hologic representative. K180572, K202455, and K203645 are separate FDA trade-name records. K202455 already includes a MACH 40 name on 29 December 2020, before the Aixplorer end-of-sale date. None of those records is a 2026 contract promise. ^{1 4 6}

Is the 2012 Health Canada Aixplorer notice the same event as the 2023 letter?
No. RA-71571 is a Type II recall starting 27 January 2012. The stated reason is an error in the user's guide list of recommended cleaners and disinfectants for the SE12-3, which the notice says is used in a semi-critical application. It is not an end-of-service letter and not a current disinfection procedure. ⁹

Can catalog row SP00781 be ordered as an Aixplorer board?
No. The only public SuperSonic catalog row is named PC(2 interfaces) SP00781. The model label is SuperSonic, and no manufacturer part number is listed. That row is not a verified Aixplorer 4-connector or Ultimate part.

Does the letter authorize an independent service company to act for Hologic?
No. It names Ultrasound Solutions Corporation as a contracted service partner for the contracts the letter describes. It does not appoint or endorse another service company. Rongtao Medical does not claim that role. ¹

How should an HTM team test the seven-year sentence?
Find the installation record and add seven calendar years as an illustration only. If that illustration is still ahead on the day of the decision, ask Hologic whether best-effort corrective maintenance is available for that serial. If the illustration is already past, the letter's renewal cap is also past, and a private repair still needs the label, software, symptom, and part photos. The letter does not define the anniversary convention. ¹