Summit Matsu Chillers Chosen for Reliability at Perth Radiation Oncology

Summit Matsu Chilling Systems has provided Perth Radiation Oncology with a custom specified chiller to cool their linear accelerator, which is the key machine used in radiation therapy for cancer patients.
Providing the best care and treatment for cancer patients is a reputation that Perth Radiation and Oncology prides itself on. At the core of the radiation treatments that the clinic offers is the linear accelerator (linac), which speeds particles to an extent at which they are able to pass through the body to kill cancerous cells. It is a process that requires extremely high voltage and generates enormous amounts of heat as a by-product.
The clinic commissioned Summit Matsu Chilling Systems to design and manufacture a chiller that was able to cool the linac by pumping cool water through the machine. In selecting Matsu for the project, Mr Mike Masters of Perth Radiation Oncology noted that the sensitive nature of the machine dictated that the chiller be able to maintain a constant temperature and that “Matsu were the only supplier able to guarantee that the chiller could maintain a relatively high ambient temperature of 50°C.” In addition to the ability to provide custom specifications in the design process, Mr Masters commented that the significantly smaller environmental footprint compared to the competition was also a major factor in the decision-making process.
For Perth Radiation Oncology, having an Australian manufacturer meant that when the clinic experienced a problem it was addressed quickly and thoroughly by the same engineers who built the chiller. Mr Masters laughs, “It was entirely our fault, we didn’t realise that there was a bypass option in the chilling compartment until after about five months, in winter, the chiller was working too well and the water froze.” He pointed out that Matsu responded promptly and fixed the issue by explaining that the chiller could bypass some of the water in the cooler seasons when a full flow was not needed, saving energy and preventing the problem from arising again.