The Importance of Selecting the Right Cooling System
In the medical equipment industry, proper component functionality and performance is of utmost importance, as failures can cause dangerous malfunctions and delays that put patients at risk. When selecting a cooling system for your medical equipment application, it’s important to consider your project’s specific temperature and application needs. This will help to ensure longevity and reliability in your medical equipment.
.jpg?width=300&height=222&name=cooling%20equipment%20medical%20(1).jpg)
AC Blowers in the Medical Industry
AC blowers — machines that provide air flow to facilitate various machine processes through the use of rotating blades — are often used in medical equipment to provide reliable, efficient air movement. For instance, AC blowers are utilized in medical and surgical beds to pump airflow up through mattresses, providing air circulation that prevents patients from experiencing pressure sores, skin shearing, hot flashes, and night sweats.
AC blowers can also have a great impact on the performance of thermal imaging systems, as many medical devices lose efficacy after critical temperature is reached, causing delays and added costs.
The Problem
Because medical device performance can suffer after reaching critical temperature, equipment such as MRIs, computed tomography (CT) devices, ultrasounds, and radiography (X-ray) machines are susceptible to subpar or slowed functioning. All of these devices rely on enclosure cooling to keep temperatures at optimal levels, as even slight fluctuations can affect performance. The FDA, however, helps maintain near-perfect (≥95%) repeatability and reproducibility of results in such equipment.
Because imaging technology designers generally have a narrow temperature range to work with, usually 50 ºF (10 ºC) between cabinet interior and exterior ambient temperature, cooling systems must be of the highest quality — dependable, quiet, and high performing, while also meeting the hygienic requirements of the medical industry.
The Solution
Typically used for sealed enclosures or devices, heat exchangers circulate hot air inside a device over an extended surface area, like internal fins, and circulate cooler external air over external fins. This keeps the interior temperature consistently warmer than the outside temperature. If devices or enclosures are not sealed, however, small, silent, high-performing fans for medical equipment manufacturing can be used, which are less expensive and just as effective for non-sealed applications. Because most medical devices require sealing to maintain sanitation, heat exchangers are an ideal option to keep equipment functioning optimally and thereby reduce downtime and additional maintenance costs.
When incorporating a heat exchanger into medical equipment that requires a fan, be sure the power supply can accommodate the additional required power.
Cooling Solutions from Pelonis: The B1793 Blower
As a leading manufacturer of heating and cooling technologies, Pelonis is proud to offer a wide array of cooling options, including axial AC and brushless DC fans, as well as high-technology motors and OEM manufacturing solutions. Our B1793 TITAN AC blower, in particular, is ideal for use in the medical equipment industry.
With a patented engineered aluminum enclosure that acts as a heat sink, the B1793 is extremely heat resistant. This allows for cooler surface temperatures and reduced internal component wear. It also features an isolated open collector tachometer, which monitors running speed and locked rotor protection, ensuring automatic restart if the motor is released from a locked state. The B1793 blower also includes PWM operation that enables it to operate at various speed settings and it is a compact unit, allowing for easy installation and use in smaller medical devices.
To discuss how our cooling solutions can serve your application, or to learn more about fans, blowers, and heat exchanger components for the medical field, contact one of our in-house experts today, or download our AC blower catalog.
