por
John W. Mitchell, Senior Correspondent | September 09, 2015
From the September 2015 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
He said that while customers are responsible for maintaining the mobile units they sell after the warranty period, they have not received any complaints about chiller malfunctions. According to Bonneau, there are several potential reasons why chillers fail. These include: corrosion on the equipment or in the plumbing associated with the chiller MRI system; blockages in the coolant lines prohibiting proper coolant flow; and mechanical failure of components, such as fans.
Jeremy Fox, a project manager at Direct Medical Imaging, which refurbishes used MRI and CT equipment and distributes KR Product chillers, pointed out that it’s not just hot weather that is hard on chillers. “Any extreme weather takes a toll on chillers. They can be degraded as much by freezing and thawing as heat in cold climates,” he cautioned. “The part of the chiller that is exposed to the elements is always at risk of failing.”
He said the average lifespan for a chiller is about 10 years. None of the sources interviewed felt that the market for chillers was leveling off or declining. Bonneau, with GE, reported that overall demand for chillers is increasing because of the growing need to manage the imaging operating environment. Despite the challenges and cost, MRI and CT service cannot be provided without chillers. “It’s amazing what you can accomplish with 54-degree chilled water,” Loeffler from UNM summarized.
Back to HCB News
