Tips for Purchasing Refurbished Linear Accelerators

Servicing a LINAC system requires a lot of carefully planned procedures. This is because servicing a linear accelerator incorrectly would have effects on the LINAC machine itself. LINAC systems are very complex and sophisticated piece of medical equipment, hence one must be experienced to repair medical equipment of such complexity.

Refurbished VS New

A linear accelerator is a device commonly used for treating cancerous tumors. Because of this singular reason, it is very difficult to really choose if getting new parts or repairing the machine is going to be feasible or if purchasing a new or refurbished linear accelerator is a better choice for your need.

Refurbished linear accelerators and refurbished parts are suited for both repairs and maintenance. They are suitable for startup medical companies, research companies, and companies that are looking to purchase additional pieces. The cost of purchasing a refurbished linear accelerator and accelerators parts are low in comparison to buying a new one.

Buying a refurbished linear accelerator is advantageous in growing a medical practice and managing expenses at the same time. There are important things to note when buying a refurbished linear accelerator. It is imperative to plan.

Factors To Consider When Planning A Purchase

Plan for a new piece of medical equipment by defining your clinical goals and what technology would bring your desired results before setting out to purchase the refurbished linear accelerator. In planning, their important things you need to consider.

SITE – Room dimension, power, water supply, local permits, room dimension, and future technology are very important considerations to be made when installing a radiation equipment such as a linear accelerator.
BUDGET – The technology, manufacturer, and age of your acquired equipment is a function of your budget. This is one of the reasons why purchasing a refurbished linear accelerator is advised for startups – it affords them the chance to carry out another essential part of their practice.
TIMING – It is vital for achieving milestone such as equipment acceptance testing date, installation date, and going live with the linear accelerator. It is cool to be flexible with the timing.

Using the Professionals

Since the process is handled by different experts, it is imperative for them to form a cohesive team. The equipment provider, the physics support team, IT integration team, and the clinical implementation team must all work in agreement for the successful implementation of the linear accelerator.

A professional should handle the installation of the linear accelerator. A linear accelerator should only be installed by a specialist in his field and must possess a wealth of experience and expertise. Doing a thorough background check on linear accelerator equipment providers is important for credibility, accountability and reliability purpose.

Acceletronics is an independent service company dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models. Learn more about Acceletronics and their selection of new and refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners today at http://www.acceletronics.com. To contact one of our LINAC experts call 610.524.3300.

February 21, 2018

What Role does a LINAC System Play in Cancer Radiation Therapy?

Cancer is a disease that affects people all over the world. There aren’t any guaranteed cures for the fatal disease. However, one-way cancer is treated is through radiation therapy. In this, high-energy rays are used to prevent cancer cells from dividing and spreading further in the body. The rays damage the cells which is why they lose their ability to grow and spread. Linear accelerators or LINAC systems are large scaled pieces of equipment used for radiation therapy. Therefore, a lot of companies have started servicing LINAC systems and offer medical equipment repair as well.

How is a LINAC system used?

Linear accelerators emit x-rays or electrons with high energy. The specialty of this device is that it can attack cancer cells while preventing damage to other healthy cells of the body. Therefore, the patient’s body itself is free of harm and only the cancer tumor is attacked. Treatment using a LINAC system is suitable for use on any body part, so it can treat every kind of cancer tumor. The device works with multiple techniques, for example, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT, SRS, SBRT etc.

Servicing linear accelerators is vital for the proper working of the system. Radiation therapy is the treatment option for many types of cancers. There are few precautions that can be taken when working with radiation. LINAC systems emit strong radiation beams which is why they are able to kill cancer cells. Without servicing LINAC systems, the best treatment results cannot be ensured. Repairing medical equipment like LINAC systems is extremely important in ensuring its suitability for medical treatments.

LINAC Mechanism

The equipment works like a radar in terms of its microwave technology. There is a part inside the linear accelerator where electrons are accelerated. When they meet the metal compartment, these electrons convert to high-energy x-rays. Special devices ensure that these x-rays leave the LINAC in the exact shape of the patient’s tumor so that only the specific area is treated. This is what makes servicing linear accelerators such a vital part of the whole treatment. If there is even the slightest misalignment, the radiation could attack the wrong part of the patient’s body harming valuable, healthy tissues.

In order to make sure that the radiation reaches the correct part of the patient’s body, the patient is set on a moveable couch. This couch can be repositioned in any direction to make sure the tumor is at the right angle and distance from the radiations. Alongside this, the LINAC emits the x-rays from a part called gantry. The gantry can be rotated to alter the angles of the emissions as well.

Safety

With such a powerful mechanism, there is no room for a mistake. The linear accelerator is designed to never emit a higher radiation than the oncologist’s prescription. Thus, servicing LINAC systems and repairing medical equipment becomes a point of life or death. If the device is functioning perfectly, the security of the patient is maintained.

LINAC systems play a major role in cancer therapy and so does repairing them. It is something that cannot be risked at any cost.

February 14, 2018

Maintaining Radiation Oncology Equipment

Biomedical equipment technicians have the arduous job of repairing medical equipment used in hospitals and various health practitioner’s office. These machines are quite complex and carry out work that the normal human being can’t such as processing x-rays into visible images or magnifying test samples thousands of times, therefore any glitch, malfunction, or downtime is unacceptable because it can affect the entire medical procedure, which in all cases, is life-saving.

Technical Skills Involved With LINAC Servicing

Servicing LINAC systems takes a certain level of technical skills and the use of both mechanical skills and software know-how to fix the delicate parts of a linear accelerator. A LINAC uses microwave technology to create high energy electron beams or X-rays known as Photons beams. When these high-energy photons are created they are then directed to a patient’s tumor and are shaped as they exit the LINAC to conform to the tumor

Servicing linear accelerators is time-consuming, nonetheless, they can be successfully operated, maintained and repaired, but only when done by people with a background experience in capacity building, installing, commissioning, calibrating, servicing and repairing linear accelerators. Components of a LINAC are highly sensitive suffice it to say, costly. Take, for example; the drive stand comprises of the klystron, which is also used in high energy physics, provides medical linacs with the source of microwave power to accelerate the electrons by amplifying introduced radio frequency electromagnetic waves. The job of biomedical equipment technicians is to not only get it right the first time but also to ensure that they check their work for any anomalies to alleviate future disruptions.

Components Of An Accelerator

Other components that a technician must check when servicing linear accelerators are the RF waveguide, the circulator, which connects the klystron and the RF waveguide, and the cooling water system, all, which are vital components of the drive stand that needs to work at optimal capacity. Additionally, the modular cabinet of the LINAC systems, which is located in the treatment room, contains three subcomponents that also need to work symbiotically. They are:

The power distribution system
The fan control that cools the power distribution system
The auxiliary power distribution system which contains off button that shuts down the power to the LINAC in case of an emergency

The water cooling system that is located in the drive stand and gantry cannot be allowed to fail at any moment because not only does it provide thermal stability to the whole LINAC system, but it also allows all the components in the gantry and drive stand to operate at a constant temperature.

Equally so, the monitor ionizing chambers used to screen field symmetry, integrated dose and dose range, as well as the multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) that are used to create a block that spares normal tissue and direct the radiation dose to the tumor, are two important elements in the treatment delivery of radiotherapy.

Checked and Maintained For Accuracy

They, therefore, must be checked when servicing linear accelerators to ensure that there are accurate dosimetry, mechanical precision, and imaging during RT treatment.

February 7, 2018

Should You Repair It or Replace It: LINAC Systems

LINAC, linear accelerators, are an essential part of treating tumors and destroying cancer cells in people, while leaving the normal tissue alone. While this is an effective treatment for specific types of cancers, as the machines have built-in safety measures that only deliver the required dosage, they can also start to fail over time. When the system fails you will question whether you should continue to repair it or if it is time to replace it.

The Importance Of Regular Maintenance

It’s up to the medical physicist to ensure that their clinic or hospital’s LINAC system is functioning properly. If there is any doubt, repairing or replacing medical equipment may be required. It’s important that all patients who’ve been scheduled for radiation therapy are assured of safe and accurate treatment. They need to also be assured of timely treatment, with few delays. Treatment is more specialized and intricate with linear accelerators. It’s very important to keep to regular servicing LINAC systems.

Servicing linear accelerators is a specialty that is best left to the professionals. There are many safety checks in place. The LINAC itself may present warnings that it’s due for servicing LINAC systems. When warnings are present it is important to see what needs to be repaired and to see if repairing it or replacing it with a refurbished linear accelerator is the best choice.

Keeping Machine Functionality Effective

There are a wide range of professionals who use this equipment to help patients. The medical physicist and the dosimetrist will determine the exact prescribed dosage, and calculate the right amount of time for that dosage. The oncologist will be prescribing the volume and dosage. It’s important to have a functioning system so that there are not additional problems and that the patient receives effective treatment. Linear accelerator maintenance is also a part of the process to keep your LINAC systems working well. If the technician finds something wrong with the system, they will advise of fixing it or replacement.

Patient safety is also of paramount important. The radiation treatment plan is double-checked, with several steps and quality-assured procedures so that the treatment is delivered exactly. Following all these steps, the machine should not deliver a higher dosage than prescribed.

Today’s modern linear accelerators also have an internal checking system that keeps the machine from being turned on unless all the prescribed requirements have been fulfilled. If for some reason you are initiating treatment with the patient, but the machine refusing to turn on, it’s may be time for servicing LINAC systems or replacement.

Ensuring Specific Parts Like Beam Position

During treatment, the radiation therapist will be continuing to observe the patient with a closed-circuit television monitor. There is also a microphone in the treatment room so the patient can speak to the radiation therapist if required. Just some of the items that are checked during this process include the port films or x-ray that are taken with the treatment beam, and the cone beam CT. This ensures that the beam position doesn’t change from the original plan. It’s important for servicing linear accelerators to ensure that these safeties stay in place. If they fail, it could be time for a replacement.

January 24, 2018

Purchasing Quality Medical Equipment

A linear accelerator, LINAC, is a device that accelerates charged particles along a straight linear path of metal tubes at periodic intervals through a process known as electrostatic acceleration. This medical device is used by a radiation oncologist who in addition to consulting with patients and planning treatment sessions, also harness the therapeutic properties of radiation to treat or/and cure cancer using customized high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells without destroying the rest of the surrounding healthy tissue.

Proper Care Of Your Equipment

Technological advancements have gradually made it easy and painless in curing patients of cancer through radiation that is delivered using a linear accelerator. This is why regular preventive maintenance, quality assurance inspections, installation, testing, calibration, troubleshooting, repair and general maintenance of a LINAC is very important to ensure that the radiation concentration is even across the beam and that the device is in good working order at all times.

It takes time and extensive research, a healthy budget, planning, an understanding of your clinical goals and a commitment to quality care when planning to buy a linear accelerator that will provide patients with quality, timely and uninterrupted treatment options. Additional LINAC system costs and services will also include the following:

Warranty, service, and maintenance
24/7 repair solutions tailored to your equipment needs
Redundant engineering solutions when the main engineer is not available
Around the clock rapid response computer-aided dispatching system
Machine uptime guarantee that ensures that there are no downtimes
On-demand parts and fast replacement of defective components for linear accelerators
Proper equipment removal and disposal
Relocation services of an existing linear accelerator
LINAC system costs will also include a keen project planning and logistics support
Power conditioners and patient positioning

Variation In Costs

There are a variety of linear accelerator systems to choose from and in addition to being budget conscious and selecting the right machine, LINAC system costs will also largely depend on the upgrades and features of each system, country of installation, adequate site planning, timeline, pre and post-installation equipment support.

A pre-owned linear accelerator such as a Basic Varian 600CD/6EX can be purchased for around $175,000 to $300,000. However, if you want a LINAC with newer systems such as the Varian TrueBeam, Elekta Versa HD, or the Cyberknife VSI and M6 prepare a healthy budget of around $750,000 to $1.5M. When you want to get the most from your existing equipment is also important to bear in mind other LINAC system costs for its accessories such as positioning lasers, treatment couch upgrades, water chillers, power conditioners, to mention a few.

Additional LINAC Services That Are Offered

There are also recognized professionals that offer LINAC services such as equipment assessments and appraisals for a fee to oncologists who are either looking to expand or close down their clinics, who want to secure funding from lenders, those that need to consolidate their debts, for insurance purposes, or simply to sell their equipment. These are just a few of the LINAC system costs that those in radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging line of work should consider.

January 17, 2018

Everything You Need To Know About Cancer Treatment Using LINAC Systems

Whether you’re a cancer patient or a physician or manager of a medical clinic or hospital, you can benefit from knowing more about LINAC systems and LINAC services. LINAC system costs may be right for your clinic or hospital purchasing a machine for patient treatment.

What Is A LINAC?

A LINAC is basically a cancer treatment radiology machine. The patient lies down on a platform where their pertinent body part is displayed under a bright light at the top. The system is turned on and provides radiology to that specific region in the body suffering from cancerous tumors. Radiology is often a much gentler and safer form of treatment than chemotherapy. LINAC services are much quicker and enable the patient to return to their daily lives quickly, rather than requiring all day spent at the clinic.

LINAC stands for “linear accelerator”. If you’ve been evaluating LINAC system costs for your clinic, you’ll want to learn more about how it can benefit your cancer patients. LINAC provides high energy x-rays and electrons that can actually conform to a specific tumor’s shape. Its purpose is to destroy cancerous cells on a specific part of the body. It does not touch or affect healthy and normal cells or tissue. This treatment is done by an external beam of radiation.

How It Works

LINAC services can treat a wide variety of tumors on all parts of the body through a variety of usual cancer treatment techniques. The equipment runs with special microwave technology. This is similar tech that’s used for radar. The microwaves will accelerate electrons in a accelerator which is called a wave guide. The electrons will collide with a heavy metal that creates high-energy x-rays. But instead of being used to record onto a film, they are targeting a patient’s cancer cells. The x-rays are directed straight to a tumor.

LINAC services have additional benefits. This machine has many built-in safety features that only allow it to deliver a specific dose and never more. LINAC services are run by a qualified medical physician. At regular intervals during patient treatment they will ensure that it’s working smoothly and routinely check it.

Patients are evaluated for LINAC services by visiting their radiation oncologist first. The oncologist will then meet with the radiation dosimetrist and the medical physicist to create a unique treatment plan that fits that patient. Next, your own medical doctor will go over this treatment plan and share it with you. Finally, quality assurance procedures will be created to ensure that you receive the exact treatment both effectively and in a timely manner.

Safe and Effective Benefits

LINAC services are safe for oncologists and radiologists to operate, and to be used on patients. The equipment only emits radiation when it has been turned on. There is little risk of accidental exposure. The benefits are huge when gauging LINAC system costs for your clinic or hospital. This cancer treatment has been proven to be both effective and safe for the cancer patient, and is worth considering for your medical or health location.

January 11, 2018

All you need to know about LINAC System

What is a LINAC System?

A LINAC system delivers high intensity radiations in the body of patients who suffer from cancer for their treatment. Radiation enters the patient’s body in a precise manner to treat deep-seated tumors. The reason this form of treatment has become popular is because it lessens the overall treatment duration and can more easily pin-point the exact tumor without ruining the surrounding healthy tissue.

LINAC devices, otherwise known as linear accelerators, work by using microwave technology. High energy x-rays are produced by this device by accelerating electrons. When these x-rays exit the machine, they take the shape of the tumor in the patient’s body. A beam is used to direct these x-rays to the tumor. It comes out of gantry; a part of the accelerator.

Factors to Consider for Buying this Machine

If you want to buy such a machine for your hospital, there are certain factors that you need to consider taking the final decision. The topmost factor you need to consider is LINAC system costs. In the recent years, the costs have increased. The clinic needs to have a plan before taking the decision of buying this machine for the treatment of cancer patients.

Moreover, hospital staff and technicians must be made aware of how this system works. Proper training is required for operating this machine. A patient, with a deep-seated tumor, is made to lie on a moveable couch specifically used for treatment purposes. This couch can move in different directions. To ensure that the patient lies in a proper position, lasers are used. Gantry is rotated to deliver radiations in the patient’s body from different angles.

Maintenance of LINAC System

It is important to keep your LINAC machine in a proper condition for its smooth functioning. For this purpose, you will need to contact LINAC services provider for its maintenance. With a little research, you can find a LINAC services provider easily. However, you need to be sure of the standard of their services. Make sure they have experience of handling such a machine and their technicians are expert in providing maintenance services.

Safety of Patients and Technicians

It is important to observe patient’s safety before using this treatment method to cure them. First, the dosage of treatment is double-checked and ensured it is as prescribed by the oncologist. A whole treatment plan is devised for patient keeping in view their condition and place of the tumor. Moreover, every time the patient is to be given a dose of this treatment, it is ensured that the machine is in a good condition and radiation intensity is uniform. Special care is taken so that a higher dose is not given to the patient than prescribed. Apart from patient’s safety, the safety of operating staff is also considered. For this purpose, concrete walls are used to shield the x-ray beams.

January 3, 2018

Servicing LINAC Systems

Cancer is one of the most awful diseases in the world. It is a disease that destroys millions of lives every year throughout the world. Experts in medical science are making a great effort from a long time to find appropriate treatment solution for this disease. Thanks to modern technologies and the recent treatments, it is now possible to find success in combating advanced stages of cancer. Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Systems are gaining popularity as radiology has shown some positive results for the treatment of cancer.

Keeping Equipment Maintained

If you are providing cancer treatment services at your clinic it is very important to keep your LINAC system in working condition all the time so that your patients can receive the right treatment at your facility. This is one of the many reasons medical facilities are encouraged to hire service engineers from reputable sources when maintaining and fixing radiation oncology equipment within your facility.

LINAC machines are made of a variety of components and each one of them has a unique functionality. It is important to maintain them to ensure high performance for all tests. When any of these parts fails to operate, they force the entire machine to stop working. Then you may have to spend more on major repair and replacements. Also, such failures cause long downtime and it may affect the reputation of your facility. In order to stay safe from loss of revenue, reputation, and more it is important to call for a LINAC repair/service team from time to time to ensure routine checkups of your machinery so that it can stay tuned to good health.

Here are few tips for choosing right service company for your LINAC systems:

Check available solutions:

In order to ensure that your LINAC system stays in safe hands, look for companies with a long-lasting reputation within the medical service industry. It is important to check their service policy and ensure their 24/7 availability if equipment needs immediate repairs above and beyond routine maintenance. It is crucial to employ trained professionals with years of experience in this field. Ask for recommendations on servicing from sellers of LINAC Systems and other radiation therapy machines.

Go through their websites:

As soon as you have prepared the list of best companies, it is time to visit their official websites and look at how long they have been in this business, their reputation, machines that they are certified to service, and more. The company’s websites will provide you details about their experience, qualifications, and quality of work. This information is essential to narrow down your selection. You can also communicate with them via website based chat support, phone, or email to ask questions and get to know more about the quality of service they offer.

Check reviews:

The next important task is to check what other people around the world say about them. You should check customer reviews about your shortlisted companies to know if people are satisfied with their services or not. If you find more negative reviews about the company, it is good to look for other option for LINAC services.

Don’t compromise quality for the price:

Quality vs Cheap Price

While selecting the right LINAC system repair service provider, it is good to look for a quality service provider over instead of price. It is not good to take a risk with the cheap repair services; the best idea is to look for experienced and professional service providers.

December 27, 2017December 22, 2017

The Process of Refurbishing Large Scaled Medical Equipment

Smart pacemakers, insulin pumps, x-ray machines, drug infusion pumps, gamma cameras, and a linear accelerator (LINAC) are just some of the many medical devices and equipment used for a variety of clinical applications including oncology, cardiology, neurology, and others for general imaging.

In most cases, in order to ensure the highest patient satisfaction and system uptime large scaled medical equipment are fortified with remote service capabilities for a full remote access and diagnosis to ensure that small problems do not turn into big downtime. This level of pre-emptive monitoring and trending of key performance indicators have come in ensuring an interruption-free imaging, detection efficiency, and patient evaluations.

Needing Repair/ Upgrades

Large scaled medical equipment such as a linear accelerator are complicated devices that contains hundreds, if not thousands of parts that play a cohesive role to safely generate beams of radiation that kill cancer and save human lives. Irreparable damage to any of these vital parts of a linear accelerator (an upgrade itself) would cost a hospital thousands of dollars, not forgetting that the medical equipment weighs several thousand pounds and the cost of having it professionally and safely dismantled, removed and properly disposed of can, needless to say, be unspeakable.

Using a Professional Tech

Before any large scaled medical equipment can reach a zero market value, it is important to work with reputable and professional linear accelerator technicians who by rights, go through a rigorous five-step procedure to make ensure the installation of the replaced parts are ready for use again in a refurbished linear accelerator and at a bundled discounts on software and other accessories.

The main components of a linear accelerator include the gantry, the stand, the modulator cabinet, control console, and the treatment couch – each with critical components within it that has undergone rigorous testing to ensure optimal performance. When it comes to refurbished linear devices, only independent refurbishment companies can provide a full beam testing.

Roles of a Technician

Biomedical equipment technician with a Bachelors’ degree in electrical or mechanical engineering will typically perform the following roles when refurbishing a linear accelerator:

Provide preventive maintenance scheduling and responding to down machines
A technician can assist in the design and modification of treatment accessories
Ensure that each damaged piece of a linear accelerator undergoes thorough testing
Maintain inventory and order parts for linear accelerators
Organize vendor service and documentation
Carry out an assembly, functional testing and replace parts as needed
Assess the uniformity, balance and dosimetry system of the dose output
Carry out a cosmetic assessment process of the patient couch and whether it needs to be professionally covered with OEM textured paint
He or she will carry out a 17 point pre-shipment check list and inventory
Arrange transportation if necessary
Conduct operational checks and adjustments in order to ensure that the linear accelerator meets all the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) specifications

Operating a linear accelerator with a decent-sized patient load is ideally what any doctor wants. Regular maintenance and repairs can be a great solution.

December 19, 2017

Popular Options for Treating Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death, morbidity, and mortality worldwide and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Staying away from tobacco and alcohol, limiting time in the sun, being physically active and eating healthy foods has been credited with reducing the risk of developing most types of cancers. There are also various screening tests that can be done for some types of cancers so they can be found as early as possible and before they have spread.

Effective Treatments

Significant improvements can be made by detecting cancer early and avoiding delays in care. This can be achieved through early diagnosis, which consists of clinical evaluation, diagnosis, staging, and access to care. There are also screening programs such as visual inspection for cervical cancer, mammography screening for breast cancer, or HPV testing for cervical cancer that aim to identify individuals with abnormalities suggestive of specific cancers.

Common types of cancers, like breast cancer, oral, and colorectal, cervical cancer have increased cure rates when caught and treated early. There are also vaccines that have proven useful in treating cancers that are caused by viruses such as the human papilloma virus (HPV).

Medical equipment such as the linear accelerator machine has the ability to deliver another type of cancer treatment using intensity modulated radiation therapy. Linear accelerator machines use excessive energy x-ray, commonly known as microwave technology, fit to the tumor’s shape to destroy cancer cells while protecting the surrounding healthy tissue.

This next point is geared toward addressing various safety concerns of patients that come with using this medical equipment. It doesn’t matter whether the linear accelerator machine is new or a refurbished LINAC system because, in the hands of a competent radiation oncologist, patients can expect to receive the appropriate treatment volume and dosage.

Proper Testing an Maintenance

Doctors who work with linear accelerator machines also perform consistent safety checks before treatment is given and the regular maintenance of the equipment is not only to alleviate the delivery of a higher dose than the radiation oncologist has prescribed but also to ensure that any malfunctions during the treatment process never occurs.

A new or refurbished LINAC system will make clicking or whirring sounds similar to a vacuum cleaner, which may scare patients. The radiation therapist controls the movement and checks to ensure that the equipment is working properly and he or she is there to stop the machine if by any chance a patient is concerned about anything that is happening in the treatment room or feels uncomfortable during the treatment.

Quality Treatment

Continual improvement of medical imaging equipment is important, especially when a medical practitioner wants to benefit his practice in both patient quality care and staff productivity. Not only have new technological advances in radiation therapy made life easier for cancer patients, but ongoing investment in new technology is now making treatments quicker, accurate and effective, therefore making this form of therapy a popular option for treating cancer and reducing its recurrence.