MEDICAL CHILLERS
Medical Equipment Chillers
Are you in need of an MRI Chiller or MRI Cooling System? Cold Shot Chillers® has got you covered! Since 1970, we have designed and manufactured high-reliability chillers for medical imaging applications such as MRIs, linear accelerators, and PET scanners.
Medical Chillers & Linear Accelerator Chiller Systems are utilized in many medical applications where temperature control is critical. Cold Shot Chillers® offers a variety of industrial chillers suited to diverse medical applications, such as:
- Radiotherapy Chillers
- MRI Chillers
- PET/CT Chillers
- Blood Bank Refrigeration
- Custom Linear Accelerator Chillers
- Cancer Treatment Clinics
- Laboratory Operations, and more.
Our medical equipment chillers provide close temperature tolerance, reliable operation, and minimal downtime.
Due to the critical nature of these applications, we ask that you fill out a brief application questionnaire so that we may properly serve your needs.
How Do Medical Chillers Work?
Medical chillers provide process cooling using the same technology in industrial, process, commercial, and comfort cooling systems. In addition, our devices can be built to include self-diagnostic tools, chiller preventive maintenance apps with notifications, and emergency backup cooling systems in the event of a mechanical or electrical failure.
Why is Temperature Control Important in Medical Facilities?
Due to the sensitive nature of clinical procedures, some medical devices are fitted with sensors or controls that monitor and regulate the temperature of processes within spaces and enclosures. Since several medical applications involve machines that can produce a lot of heat, they must be cooled rapidly to ensure a stable process temperature.
Often, processes at medical facilities must be maintained within a narrow temperature range. For example, the ideal temperature of the internal magnet of an MRI machine is -270 °C or -450 °F (a cryogenic temperature). Temperatures above this level can cause the machine to malfunction or give inaccurate measurements.
A dedicated chiller system can provide the required cooling to keep the internal temperature of the machine low. Many medical chiller systems are designed to immediately switch to city water for cooling if the chiller unit fails. Medical equipment chillers from Cold Shot Chillers® can accommodate a wide range of heat loads required for long-term reliability.
Medical Chiller Sizes and Materials
The size of a chiller refers to its cooling capacity. The most common chiller sizes used in the medical industry are 7 ½ ton chillers (90,000 BTU/hr) and 5-ton chillers (60,000 BTU/hr). However, in scenarios where multiple medical devices need to be cooled simultaneously, 12 ½ and 15-ton chillers will get the job done.
Use our chiller sizing tool for further help, or contact a Cold Shot team member today.
Common construction materials for medical imaging equipment chillers are stainless steel and copper “wetted” components with powder-coated steel frames or aluminum cabinets.
Chiller Systems for Medical Applications
All types of chillers utilized in medical applications are designed to operate within a close temperature tolerance. Precise temperature control is critical for several medical procedures such as medical imaging, laboratory, surgical operations, and more.
MRI Chillers
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines use powerful magnetic fields to create images of internal organs such as bones, teeth, cartilage, and muscles. Healthcare professionals use these images to accurately diagnose medical conditions and disorders, allowing them to recommend the best treatment options. Medical facilities with MRI machines perform several thousand scans per year.
The Need for Efficient MRI Cooling Systems
An MRI scan consumes a lot of energy and generates considerable heat in its internal components. Therefore, the machine’s temperature must be kept within specified limits to prevent overheating, which can lead to malfunction.
The ideal temperature for an MRI scanner is about -270 °C or -450 °F (a cryogenic temperature). Ambient cooling from an HVAC system installed at the facility cannot provide this close-tolerance temperature for the machine. MRI Chillers & Cooling Systems can reduce the excess heat generated within the device during a scan.
What is an MRI Chiller?
MRI chillers are devices that provide cooling for MRI machines. Some may include built-in self-diagnostic capabilities and integration with preventive maintenance applications. Perhaps most importantly, they can be built to revert to a backup cooling system in case of a mechanical or electrical failure. This ensures that your MRI machine remains cool in the event of an emergency.
Chillers built for MRI machines typically need to hold very close temperature tolerances with a very wide heat load variation. The cooling fluid pressures are also high relative to other medical equipment cooling applications. How do chillers work to meet these system requirements?
How Cold Shot Chillers® MRI Chillers Work
MRI Chillers & Cooling Systems help to cool the internal components of medical imaging equipment that can generate a significant amount of heat during use. These machines contain a device known as a “cold head” that condenses helium back into its liquid form after cooling the MRI magnet – the component responsible for producing the powerful magnetic fields for resonance imaging.
MRI machine chillers from Cold Shot Chillers® provide close temperature tolerance with automatic city water switchover to ensure maximum uptime in the event of an unexpected failure. In addition, they come fitted with air compressors and refrigerated air dryers for optimum efficiency.
MRI Cooling Specs
Modern medical imaging equipment requires higher than normal pressures and temperature tolerances with extremely wide heat load variations to function efficiently. In addition, since the primary chilling substance in our MRI chillers is eco-friendly chiller refrigerants, they offer greater corrosion resistance than water-based chillers. T
he main challenge with medical equipment such as MRIs, CT scanners, and PET scanners is that their operation is energy-intensive, with intermittent loads that cause internal components to heat up rapidly. The ideal MRI cooling system must react in time to stabilize internal temperatures at precise levels. Our MRI chillers ensure fast and efficient cooling scanners.
PET and CT Scanner Chillers
Reliability and durability are the most critical factors for selecting medical equipment. Due to the sensitivity of medical procedures, the accuracy of measurements plays a vital role in clinical diagnoses.
Every day, healthcare professionals use electromechanical devices to assist them in their clinical duties. These systems must be operated under proper modes and operating temperatures specified by the manufacturers.
Why Are PET & CT Chiller Systems Important?
Computed Tomography (CT) scan machines are medical imaging equipment that use data from x-rays to produce detailed images of internal body structures. Data from the x-rays are sent to a computer which converts it into a 3-D model displayed on a monitor.
During normal use, the x-ray tubes inside CT scanners tend to heat up considerably (some modern CT systems utilize up to 100kW of power) and require rapid cooling. In scenarios where the cooling from an HVAC system is inadequate, the CT machine may overheat and malfunction. Moreover, excessive heat can cause damage to sensitive components inside the scanner.
To prevent overheating, CT chillers can be used to rapidly cool these scanners. The challenge, however, is that these chillers deal with cyclical loads – i.e., the x-ray tubes within the scanner power up intermittently. So, the cooling system must keep internal temperatures stable despite the load surge.
Air-cooled vs. Water-cooled Chillers for PET/CT Cooling
Both air-cooled and water-cooled chillers serve the same purpose: to cool an enclosure. However, they differ in the mode of operation. Here’s how both systems work:
Air-cooled
In an air-cooled system, the heat is rejected by ambient air through the rotation of cooling fans. These fans are usually located at the top of the unit for optimal cooling. Air-cooled chillers are ideal for medical facilities with no cooling towers or a limited water supply.
The following are the main benefits of using an air-cooled chiller at your facility:
- They are generally cheaper to use than water-cooled systems due to the absence of a cooling water tower.
- They require less maintenance than open-loop systems.
- Air-cooled systems help reduce water consumption.
Water-cooled
Water-cooled chillers use chilled water from a tower or city water supply to reject heat from a refrigerant used to cool a process. The hot fluid is then recirculated into the system for reuse. However, they are generally more expensive to install and maintain than air-cooled chillers as they require a dedicated water chiller plant for 24/7 cooling.
The following are the main benefits of using a water-cooled chiller at your facility:
- Water-cooled chillers are generally more energy-efficient than air-cooled systems.
- They ensure quiet operation (no noise generated from cooling tower fans).
Water-cooled chillers facilitate stable operation with infrequent replacements of parts.
What are the Benefits of Medical Chillers?
Can Cold Shot Chillers® medical chillers reduce cost or ensure a longer-lasting machine?
Many medical applications are cooled using city water where temperatures below 65 °F may not be required. However, water-cooled systems have several disadvantages – they increase water consumption and facilitate the formation of mineral deposits in the internal components of machines which can lead to component failure.
ACWC-90-ESUS and ACWC-90-DM medical process chillers from Cold Shot Chillers® are air-cooled with auxiliary cooling systems to compensate in the event of mechanical failure. In addition, they help conserve water and prevent system failures due to ground or city water use.
For more relevant information and technical specifications, refer to our ACWC-90-ESUS and ACWC-90-DM spec sheets.
Why Cold Shot Chillers® Medical Chillers?
For decades, Cold Shot Chillers® has designed high-capacity chillers for medical applications with close temperature tolerance and rugged reliability.
Here are some benefits of using our medical equipment chillers at your facility:
- Premium Materials: Our medical imaging equipment chillers are built using premium-grade materials. Every product is quality-assured and offered with a competitive limited warranty.
- Superior Reliability: Our medical chillers are designed to ensure minimal downtime. They are designed with built-in features that compensate for equipment failure.
- Eco-friendly: Medical process chillers from Cold Shot Chillers® use eco-friendly refrigerants and conserve water, ensuring compliance with EPA standards.
- Custom-built Medical Chillers: Do you need a chiller for an MRI machine, CT scanner, or blood bank? Whatever your application, we have got you covered with various custom medical chiller designs to suit your needs.
- Customer-first Service: Whether you need technical assistance with one of our products or you wish to request a quote, our customer support channels are open 24/7 to cater to you. We offer same-day quotes, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes!
Please contact us today for a custom quote and learn how we can help improve your medical process needs.
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