3 Tips For Installing or Replacing a Linear Accelerator

New linear accelerators can cost a medical facility between 1 and 5 million dollars.  The expense of owning a LINAC does not stop once it has ben purchased.  There are items outside of the actual equipment purchase such as a simulator, training computers, treatment rooms, salaries, ongoing training, operation expenses, maintenance, repairs, and more.  The total cost of large scaled medical equipment is never one that should be underestimated.  Whether you are installing a brand new or refurbished linear accelerator, installing a LINAC for the first time, or replacing an existing one there are three tips the professionals at Acceletronics want to give you.

Step One – Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More

The installation planning process for a linear accelerator takes between six months to eight years.  The length of time for planning your project can span almost any length of time.

• When planning new technology, you will first want to establish the technology that you need in order to treat patients.  What types of cases will you be treating?  Consider the options IMRT, IGRT, and so on.
• If you are installing a linear accelerator in new construction, you will want to consider the constraints that come along with that.  What local permits do you need, do you have the proper power supply needed for this large scaled equipment, are there constraints that will limit your installation?  If you are renovating a space consider the rooms constraints, size, location of isocenter and so forth.
• Create a timeline for major milestones.  When will the vault be completed, when are vendors scheduled to install computers?  When planning these things consider potential areas where conflict can occur and come up with a backup plan.
• Once the goals are established, a budget is needed to acquire the new equipment.  Consider other aspects as well such as training, equipment needed to run the LINAC and treat patients, and the extra items that can be forgotten about when focusing on the large scaled purchase.

Step Two – Hire Based on Experience

When hiring a team of professionals, it is crucial that you hire experts.  Experts are needed for designing the vault, construction, providers of equipment and supplies, IT support, clinical implementation teams, and such.  Don’t trade cost for quality.  Sometimes a little bit more money now can save you a great deal of money later on down the road.  Ask for references when working with different vendors.  Hire only those vendors that understand the collaboration effort needed to install medical equipment such as CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators. 

Step Three – Commit to Quality

When buying a used or refurbished linear accelerator there is a three-step process that you should follow to ensure you get a machine that meets your needs and beyond.  These steps include: a review of the LINAC’s service history (look at major service events such as waveguide replacement), review the machine’s utilization and beam hours, and perform a physical inspection of the machine. 
As an independent LINAC service company, Acceletronics is dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and services for linear accelerators and CT scanners across all major brands and models, as well as new and refurbished LINAC systems for sale.  More information can be found online at https://www.acceletronics.com/.

Advancements In Technology Bring Newer Less Invasive Treatment Options

Anytime a new medical treatment is developed there is cause for celebration.  Varian Edge radiosurgery system is being used at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in a trial that is providing a new take on the existing technique known as SRS, stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy.  In the new treatment, instead of having a frame attached to your skull to help aid in the positioning of the beams a virtual cone is used.  The newer treatment is done without the invasiveness of traditional SRS and greatly increases a patient’s experience.  Traditional linear accelerators are still used in treating a wide array of radiation needs however, new systems and upgrades in technology are helping to assist in bringing better, less imposing options to patient care.   To read more about this brilliant trial out of UAB check out this article from the UAB News, “New radiation therapy shows promise for treating essential tremor”.

New Treatment Combines Imaging and Treatment

The advancements in Radiation Therapy are off the chart.  Treating cancer has always been a two-stage process of imaging and then treatment with radiation.  In this article from ITV news, “New precision cancer treatment is ‘potential lifeline’ for patients with deadly disease” they highlight the use of new technology that combines the precision imaging of an MRI with the cancer killing radiation of a linear accelerator, MR-linac. 

At Acceletronics we are committed to providing the best quality care for your equipment.  Our pledge to customers is to provide complete satisfaction, nothing short.  We believe you deserve peace of mind when it comes to the equipment you use to provide treatment to patients who are facing the scariest experience of their lives.