UPS

As medical imaging continues to migrate from film to a digitally-oriented environment, the need to maintain a consistent flow of clean power is increasing. Imaging technology must be protected from damage and failure and the integrity of the data they output must be secure.

While most hospitals have a backup generator, relying on a generator is not an adequate method for backup power for the first few seconds of an outage.  In the small amount of time between the loss of power and the powering up of the generator, critical electronic imaging equipment and information systems are improperly shut down and at risk for damage, information can be lost, and procedures are halted.

But, complete loss of power represents only part of the story.  Most power problems exist in the unseen—those milliseconds of a power loss, known as a power glitch.  As Tom Stryker, sales manager of CPN Power Inc, Somerville, Mass, explains, "There are many types of power problems." Power anomalies include voltage sags, surges, transients, harmonics, electrical noise, and frequency deviations.  These anomalies often represent tiny fluctuations or electrical impulses in the power lines. A power surge, for instance, is a brief increase in voltage.

These deviations in power can cause:

• - Image distortions resulting in reschedule or immediate retest
• - Misdiagnosis
• - Downtime
• - Damage
• - Lock ups and reboots
• - Equipment degradation
• - Component failure