About Us
Define. Discover. Deliver.Let there be light…
FiberOptic Bulbs (FOBI) was incorporated in Texas in 1996. At that time the company specialized in medical lamps and fiber optic cables sold primarily in the Greater Houston area. The surgical market was our core business and FOBI developed many lasting relationships in this specialty field. As time passed and our sales grew our customers requested we add new items and categories to our product mix. Growth was inevitable: medical batteries, hospital grade power cords, and much more utilized by Bio-medical Engineering Technicians.
Cast a wide net…
Texas is a big state and we were ready to expand. FiberOptic Bulbs expanded into the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Our representative in the area worked diligently to build strong partnerships with very well-respected facilities. Success in DFW, inspired us to move southwest and we found ourselves in the Hill Country of central Texas. Places like Waco, Austin, and San Antonio became very familiar. With little or no “on the ground” competition, FiberOptic Bulbs flourished. Currently we partner with most of the hospital systems in Texas.Who are we now?
This explosion in both territorial growth and the diversity of our product lines transformed FiberOptic Bulbs. In that light we re-invented ourselves and what emerged was FOBI. With our new moniker, we were able to more accurately define ourselves and our mission in the healthcare industry. FOBI is synonymous with quality, integrity, and customer service.
More than just Biomed…
A by-product of our growth was expansion into other departments of the hospital, such as respiratory, surgery and ER. Plant Operations called us for specialty lamps and medical gas accessories. Imaging technicians now had a local source for their mobile x-ray batteries. Respiratory took advantage of our oxygen cells and analyzers. Labor and Delivery sent us broken transducers by the bucket-load. And, still, Surgery needed fiber cables and lamps… our original core business was alive and well.
Service…Service…Service…
As the markets have evolved and competition has become more aggressive, we have transformed as well. Now FOBI is not just a parts supplier, but a service provider as well. We have focused our efforts on services that provide our customers a way to maximize their technician’s value while meeting their customers’ needs. We repair suction regulators, air/oxygen blenders, SiPaps, fetal transducers, telemetry modules, fiber-optic cables and much more.Building for the future…
In 2011, FOBI Medical developed its own line of OER (Original Equipment Replacement) parts. It has been a learning experience and to date, we have met the new challenges head on and are constantly expanding our OER product offering. FOBI has worked hard to cultivate partnerships with our customers. Our philosophy has been to provide our partners with outstanding service, thus allowing FOBI to be more than a vendor, but a trusted and valued resource.
Strategic Partnerships…
In June of 2013, FOBI Medical was honored to become the authorized sales representative for Fluke Biomedical in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Our product team worked diligently to master the technology and functionality of the quality test tools for which Fluke is so famously known. Approximately 13 months later, FOBI added the Unfors-RaySafe line of diagnostic imaging test equipment to our stable of brands. User friendliness combined with state-of-the-art technology and maximum accuracy form the backbone of the RaySafe product offering. These amazing devices have changed the way physicists and imaging technicians test and diagnose imaging equipment propelling Raysafe into a leadership role worldwide. A few months after welcoming RaySafe into the fold FOBI added Lighthouse Imaging’s test & measurement instruments which are used to test and verify the optical quality of both rigid and flexible endoscopes as well as optical output of fiberoptic cables and light sources.Changing regulatory climate…
In 2017 the issue of “Right to Repair” came up in regards to the servicing of medical equipment. The FDA, equipment manufacturers, and third party service organizations debated for months. As we came into the second quarter of 2018, the FDA decided there was not enough evidence to warrant any significant regulatory change. Although that came as a bit of a relief, it did highlight that there was a lack of standards. FOBI hired a Quality Manager and immediately began an internal review of our own standards. This led to the conclusion that ISO 13485 was the right choice. June of 2018, FOBI Medical achieved its ISO 13485:2016 certification. Our commitment to quality and continuous improvement has never been more important.