Preventative Maintenance Helps Ward Off Unplanned LINAC Repairs

LINAC’s is short for linear accelerator, which are used in radiation treatments for people with cancer.  These machines should receive preventative maintenance so that they stay in working order for as long as possible.  Any preventative maintenance that isn’t completed within a timely manner can create issues and cause unplanned equipment failure.  Those LINAC repair services can cause long downtimes, which can wreak havoc on every patient’s treatment plan.

Preventative maintenance will not only keep LINAC machines in working order, it will also ensure that the machines are delivering proper treatments that are appropriate for each patient.  Part of the preventative maintenance is performing safety checks, which may not always cause an unplanned LINAC repair, but they may cause additional preventative maintenance to be completed to recalibrate certain settings.

Certain forms of preventative maintenance are completed every day, while others may be completed weekly, monthly, or annually.  Of course, whenever a person believes that the LINAC system is performing differently, or something seems wrong, preventative maintenance should be done to find the cause of the issue.  Sometimes, a tweak here or there can save thousands of dollars in the future when it comes to expensive LINAC repair services.

During preventative maintenance, certain linear accelerator parts may be replaced around the time that they were known to wear out on other machines.  By being proactive with these replacements, LINAC users will ensure that their machine will be in service when they are needed instead of being down for maintenance.  It normally costs less to perform this type of linear accelerator repair before it is needed, because it can be scheduled in advance.  That means that less money will be spent paying for the labor of the person doing the work.

However, if preventative maintenance is not completed, and a person does not know that a specific part should be replaced sooner than later, the cost could be quite a bit more when the machine stops working.  The reason for that is because a person would need to be called in immediately, which can cost more after hours or on weekends.  Plus, it can take longer to do the work, since other things could be wrong at the same time, which means that the LINAC machine can be out of order for a couple of days or longer.

Cancer patients rely on LINAC machines to safely deliver their treatments, so that they have an excellent chance of surviving.  Downtime for these situations are unacceptable and unnecessary, especially when most issues can be spotted and resolved during scheduled preventative maintenance.

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.

Using LINAC Systems In The Treatment Of Cancer

Cancer is a serious disease, irrespective of the type, where it is in the body, how large or far-gone the tumor is. It is more likely to treat any form of cancer that’s diagnosed early before it has had a chance to get bigger or spread uncontrollably. Unfortunately, most patients are privy to the fact they have a cancer diagnosis until last minute, through an emergency admission, which, consequently, lowers the chances of catching it early. Low awareness of cancer signs and symptoms can mean that people don’t seek prompt medical attention and some people also delay early screening out of sheer fear of what the doctor might find.

Early detection of cancer through education, to promote early diagnosis and screening greatly increases the chances for successful treatment. There are many types of cancer treatments.  The one your doctor elects will depend on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. Radiation therapy, using radiation oncology systems is a type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells, shrink tumors, ease cancer symptoms and prevent it from returning, stop or slow its growth or ideally, ultimately cure it.

Using oncology medical equipment may shrink tumors to treat pain and other problems caused by the tumor, such as cancer-related pain that has spread to the bones, loss of bowel and bladder control as well as trouble breathing. Radiation oncology systems are used to treat various forms of cancers such as head and neck, breast, cervix, prostate, eye, as well as thyroid cancer. External beam radiation therapy using oncology medical equipment such as a linear accelerator is used to treat a specific part of the body and can be combined with other forms of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery or immunotherapy to improve the chances of a successful treatment.

There are limits as to the amount of radiation an area of your body can safely receive over the course of your treatment, your doctor will determine which combination will be best for you. While it’s ideal to have the tumor shrunk before considering other forms of treatment, it is important to know that using radiation oncology systems will kill or even slow down the growth of cancer cells, but it may also affect nearby healthy cells, and in some cases, damage to healthy cells may also cause side effects.

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.

Tips for Buying Refurbished Oncology Equipment

Purchasing refurbished oncology equipment can be an excellent option if you know what you are looking for and can have help picking out quality product.  When you are upgrading LINAC systems, there are numerous things that you should keep in mind, but if you can find a refurbished linear accelerator, you can save quite a bit of money.
Here are tips for buying refurbished oncology equipment:

Consider Your Space

As you are upgrading LINAC systems, you will need to consider your room dimensions, the constraints of your building, your power supply, and your water supply.  You will not want to purchase any refurbished oncology equipment that cannot fit within the space your office has as that will be a waste of your resources.  Instead, have this information available and then only look at the refurbished oncology equipment that fits your requirements.

Create a Budget

Everyone has a certain amount of money that they have available to spend on upgrades, and you should not be any different.  Once you determine how much money you are willing to spend, you will have a better idea of how you can go about upgrading LINAC systems.

Create a Timeline

The amount of time you plan on keeping the refurbished oncology equipment that you purchase will always factor in to the price.  You should be willing to pay a little bit more for the equipment you are planning on keeping for five years and less for the equipment that you only want to keep for two years.

Find a Preferred Manufacturer

You may find that you prefer one or two manufacturers over all the others, and you will want to only look at refurbished oncology equipment from those manufacturers.  This will ensure that you get a product that you can depend on and trust, plus you are more apt to know how to use the equipment from those manufacturers as they are more familiar to you.

Have a Professional Install

While upgrading LINAC systems, it is perfectly fine to purchase it refurbished, however, you should still have it professionally installed.  This will ensure that everything is in working order the first time you go to use it, plus you can find any potential issues before they arise.
These tips will help as you are upgrading LINAC systems and purchasing refurbished oncology equipment as you will get the most product for the money that you spend.  It may take some time to find the product that will work best for your needs, but your patience will pay off when you find the one that fits within your budget.

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.

Better Outcome With Fewer Treatments

As if being diagnosed with any form of cancer isn’t hard enough, you also are required to work tirelessly with your doctor to sort through a wide range of treatment to help you decide on the best treatment options.  Putting in place a plan that will increase your survival odds and meet your medical budget too is of the utmost importance once a cancer diagnosis has been given. In order to make a realistic decision, it’s important to keep in mind the type of cancer you have, the stage of cancer, and how likely any of the cancer treatments will work under the circumstances. Your doctor can talk to you about what to expect from each type of treatment, including the side effects you are likely to experience depending on the effectiveness of the treatment offered.

Cancer treatments are sometimes used in conjunction with one other. It is common to pair surgery or radiation with chemotherapy. In these cases, doctors are likely to either use radiation oncology equipment or linear accelerator equipment, both, which have shown promising results in treating different types of cancer. It is up to you to make decisions regarding your treatment, comparing the benefits and risks of the different cancer treatments.  This will help you decide if the treatment options fall within your goals and how treatments will affect your everyday life.

Considering the financial cost of each treatment is equally important.  Time is of the essence when it comes to treating any form of cancer.  It is important to check into the available options of cancer treatment that are covered by your insurance.  Treatment using linear accelerator equipment, for instance, which is the most commonly used devices to treat cancer, is usually covered by insurance mostly due to the fact that it is a popular method of cancer treatment.

Additionally, the process of receiving radiation treatment is painless.  Apart from side effects such as fatigue and skin irritation, radiation oncology treatment is simple and unproblematic.   Some treatments, like external beam radiation (EBR), have proven to be effective in addressing large tumors.  Radiosurgery is better for smaller tumors and those in the brain. While your doctor can help you decide on which treatment is best for you, do not feel intimidated or afraid of seeking a second opinion. It is your life, after all, and you want the best outcome possible with the fewest treatments possible.

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.