From the October 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

The systems are zero boil-off under optimal conditions, barring power outages, which can sometimes lead to problems with the supporting infrastructure. Trouble may occur, according to Wayne Scott, owner of Independent Magnet Technology, when you’re dealing with a broken coldhead, compressor or chiller.

Marshall Shannon, director of operations at Imaging Technology Consulting, says that zero-boil-off systems are at greater risk of losing helium due to chiller failure than older systems. For that reason, he says remote monitoring is “imperative.”


How do you monitor your MR?
When helium leaks go unnoticed, they can turn into financial catastrophes costing upwards of tens of thousands of dollars to repair, and lead to stops in patient throughput. Historically, these situations were avoided by implementing monitoring protocols among technicians and MR staffers, but today some facilities are moving toward a more automated approach.

With remote monitoring, the readings don’t require an in-person inspection. Depending on the particulars of a monitoring solution, a customer would be notified via text message or email or phone call when the MR chiller is out of spec, or the compressor turned off, or the magnet pressure exceeded the alarm threshold or helium levels are dropping, for example.

In some cases, according to Ron Schultz, field service manager with Cool Pair Plus, a facility might be on a service contract with a vendor that does not include helium fills. For those facilities, spending a little more on a diligent monitoring system is better than getting hit with a big helium bill or facing downtime due to an undetected leak.

His company offers a service called DaVinci Magnet Monitoring which takes into account helium levels, chill flows and temperatures, compressor power, magnet pressure, shield temperature and coldhead temperature.

“With data provided by the DaVinci, we are able to predict most problems before they become a major issue,” says Schultz.

For facilities that choose to monitor their own systems, Marc Fessler, owner of Independence Cryogenic Engineering, emphasizes diligence.

“Maintain a weekly list of compressor operating hours, magnet helium level, magnet vessel pressure and shield temperatures,” he advises.

The direction helium prices have gone in the last 12 months depends on who you ask. Some stakeholders told HCB News that prices have gone up a bit and attributed that to shifts in the industrial gas industry. Others say prices are marginally lower than they were in 2016, but everyone agrees that the prices are no longer as high as they were during the shortage.

October 2017 Magazine

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