Glossary

Custom system used to exhaust liquid helium in the unlikely event that it breeches the equipment chilling unit. This non-corrosive welded aluminum or stainless steel vent ducting system is required by all MRI equipment manufacturers and built according to that room and manufacturer’s specifications.

MRI suite entry door that can swing both inward and outward. This unique 180-degree range of motion is ergonomic, which makes transporting patients with mobility issues an easy task. It is also an exceptional safety measure as it will allow the door to instantly open and alleviate pressure in the unlikely event of a cryogen leak. This will mitigate damage to your room.

Cooling device installed on your facility’s rooftop and/or exterior equipment pad to maintain/lower the temperature of MRI machines, Linear Accelerators, CT and PET scanners, and more. This component is essential in preventing equipment overheating and in improving efficiency. Please note, however, that each manufacturer has its own specifications for cooling units and not all systems require chillers. CHR is able to provide replacements for warranty-expired chillers associating with medical equipment that does require this device.

Panels installed over subflooring in MRI suites. In compliance with regulations, these required flooring materials are non-ferrous (meaning that they do not contain iron) and non-magnetic. There are two primary purposes for the use of specialized flooring: 1) for ventilation and cable routing requirements to allow for ease of access to MRI equipment cables for preventive maintenance and service; And 2) to prevent ferrous (iron) contamination which, otherwise, would create problems with the magnetic field and jeopardize the integrity of the image.

See Shielding

Modifies your existing facility space in preparation to accept new equipment. This includes configuring or re-configuring equipment-specific overhead structures, flooring, cable ducting, HVAC, electrical requirements, and more. When possible, this is an ideal cost-saving measure that allows our clients to capitalize on what they already have by maximizing on current space, as opposed to building a completely new room in which to install specific imaging equipment (which CHR & Associates can do as well).

In addition to radiation shielding, there are two distinct types of MRI shielding:

Radio Frequency Shielding (also known as a Faraday cage):

Creates an MRI procedure room environment completely free from RF waves which can otherwise compromise the scanned image. All manufacturers require RF shielding.

Anti-Magnetic Shielding: 

Negates any possibility of an image anomaly created from a moving ferrous contamination outside the MRI suite (for example, a patient in a wheelchair or mobility scooter moving past the MRI room or a car driving through the parking lot outside the facility). Unlike RF shielding, anti-magnetic shielding is only mandatory to specific equipment and site conditions; thus, not every MRI will require it.