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What is the Difference Between a Medical Chiller and a Comfort Chiller?

Colorful MRI scan of a person's chest on digital screen. Operation of MRI and other imaging machines require the precision of a medical chiller

If you’re researching a process chiller for your MRI, CT, or other imaging equipment, you may be weighing the pros and cons of investing in a medical chiller over a comfort chiller to keep your processes cool. After all, refrigeration plays a pivotal role in the function and performance of medical equipment.

This article will compare the differences between these chillers to reveal which is best suited for high-stakes medical applications that require consistent and reliable uptime to maximize patient well-being and facility operations.

Which chiller is best for medical applications?

When comparing a medical process chiller with a comfort chiller, only one option provides the consistency and reliability to keep your system running: a medical chiller. These high-performance systems are designed with critical features and benefits that impact the reliability and uptime of your equipment, including industrial-grade technology, temperature accuracy, year-round operation, customizability, and 24/7 reliability.

 Medical ChillerComfort Chiller
Industrial-grade technologyYesNo
Temperature accuracyYesNo
Year-round operationYesNo
CustomizabilityYesNo
24/7 ReliabilityYesNo

As illustrated in this table, a comfort chiller can’t compete with a medical chiller in the ways that matter to patients and profits. Continue reading to discover more about these distinguishing factors that separate a medical chiller from a comfort chiller.

Rear view of male and female MRI technologists sitting at the console in the operating room and operating the MRI scanner

Industrial-grade technology

Medical process chillers are equipped with industrial-grade technology to withstand the rigorous demands of medical facilities and imaging centers that require on-demand access to high-performance machines. Conversely, comfort chillers don’t have the same robust technologies as medical chillers, reducing their ability to hold up when it matters the most.

Temperature accuracy

Another way medical chillers differ from comfort chillers is temperature accuracy. Consistent temperatures can make a significant difference in optimizing your medical equipment’s uptime. Medical chillers give you tight control with the ability to maintain temperatures within +/-1˚, but comfort chillers do not. Capacity modulation is the secret behind this control, which minimizes compressor cycling and lengthens component lifespan.  

Year-round operation

While comfort chillers may perform well during the warm months, they fall short during the colder seasons, threatening equipment uptime. However, a medical chiller can perform year-round in environments between 120˚F to -40˚F ambient without requiring you to interact with the equipment. This all-season performance gives you access to your critical life-saving equipment without worrying about the weather.

Head to our blog to discover the best chiller fluid for year-round operation.

Customizability

With an off-the-shelf comfort chiller, you can’t customize it to meet the unique requirements of your application. But with a medical chiller, the customization options are virtually endless. A customized medical chiller has everything you need to enhance performance and efficiency, from redundancy and tank and pump options to city water changeover panels and convenient controls.

24/7 Reliability

Reliability is the final differentiating factor that distinguishes a medical chiller from a comfort chiller. Medical chillers are designed and fabricated according to the rugged standards of the imaging sector to maximize uptime for 24/7 reliability. With industry-leading components, redundant circuits, and other dependable backup systems, a medical chiller outperforms the reliability of comfort chillers every time.

Read how Toshiba Medical Systems enhanced their MRI reliability with the right medical chiller system on our blog.

When it comes to choosing between a medical chiller and a comfort chiller, there’s really no comparison. Your high-precision equipment requires a high-performance medical chilling system you can count on for accuracy, consistency, efficiency, and reliability.

With over 50 years of experience engineering a robust lineup of industrial-grade solutions for the medical industry and other sectors, we are your source for medical chillers designed for performance and profitability. Our proven 99.4% uptime rate and excellent after-the-sale support make us the ideal choice for your equipment needs. Contact us to request a quote today.