How Critical are MRI Chillers to MRI Scanners and Medical Treatment

Bio-medical equipment used in super-specialty hospitals are expensive machines which have to be installed and operated with great care. linear accelerators, CT scan machines and blood analysers require low temperatures to function well. Chillers play a vital role in achieving this.

MRI chillers are critical in cooling which is a large scanning equipment consisting of a huge outer ring enclosing a super conducting magnet. The scanner is powered by software which can distinguish between cells based on their densities in a patient's body enabling doctors to ascertain the extent of cell damage, presence of blood clots etc.

The major component in a MRI scanner is the powerful magnet which has to be maintained at a very low optimum temperature range of -200oC to -600oC. Such low temperatures are achieved which uses water for cooling.

Vital Components

liquid Helium cooling systems

water-cooled gradient compressors

emergency systems

water supply

cooling towers

After a chiller has absorbed the excess heat from, the hot water in the chiller unit must be removed. If the water is dispersed into the air the chiller is called an air-cooled chiller where no extra equipment is needed. If the heated water is sent to another water source like a cooling tower it is a water-cooled chiller.

The working of MRI scanning equipment relies on the efficacy as the temperature has to be maintained within range or else the MRI scanner may overheat and malfunction. This will affect patients, doctors and hospital administrators.

To keep working so that it can deliver uninterrupted cooling, emergency systems are designed into the system by manufacturers.

Back-Up Systems Include

alternate water supply

automatic city switch over

air compressors

refrigerated air driers

alarms

Designed for both in-doors as well out-door installations so that exhaust air can be expelled on top or front. Also MRI chillers are designed to be compatible with MRI scanners made by major bio-medical equipment manufacturers.

It is imperative that MRI chillers are immune to equipment failure, and zero downtime as they lend support to MRI machines which help in complicated medical treatment.

MRI scanner's high resolution imaging acquisition and processing capabilities help in the production of a digital map at the molecular level of organs in the body. The images captured by the MRI scanner can be rotated and sliced in different angles to extremely minute thickness to study the spread of diseases or abnormalities that may be present in the body down to the cellular level.

MRI chillers can be designed for both in-doors as well out-door installations so that exhaust air can be expelled on top or front. Also MRI chillers are designed to be compatible with MRI scanners made by major bio-medical equipment manufacturers.