Should I Replace or Upgrade My LINAC System?

Having a shiny LINAC system in your clinic entitles you to benefits and services other clinics lacking this technology do not. Such a system is imperative when dealing with minute cancer situations and can not only give the medical staff an edge but also give patients a guarantee of quality others cannot. That said, a proper LINAC system is, quite obviously, not a cheap system to not only implement initially but maintain over time. At one point a clinician or technician may decide the time has come to upgrade to what’s best out there, but such a decision is not so black and white. This article should briefly outline why so.

What Do You Have?

When making the decision to upgrade, you have to look at what you have already implemented. What you have may actually be satisfactory despite being old. LINAC systems themselves are as pricy as one may expect but are also modifiable with different parts that make up the whole. Linear accelerators can be classified as defined by their part status. Essentially, your linear accelerator can be classified from older and lacking upgrades, through newer but lacking and older and possessing upgrades, to newer and possessing upgrades. Where your system lies on the spectrum indicates whether or not making upgrades is worth the cost when considering the competency.

What is Your Budget?

Depending on the overall budget and success of your clinic you may find it smarter to simply upgrade certain parts on your older LINAC system. If money is no object you can naturally swap out your system – even if it’s new – for a newer, more modern and up-to-date model. Having an infinite source of funds is most likely not the case for most clinics, so you must take budget into effect and decide if your system is old enough to really warrant a true upgrade. Remember, upgrading certain parts of your system will always be cheaper than an outright replacement, and going with used upgrades is still a viable and more cost-effective option.

Do You Have Time?

When replacing a LINAC system completely, time is of great importance. Upgrading certain parts on a system can take hours and can be done overnight, but swapping out an entire system can take much, much longer. Are you able to survive with such an important machine out of the office for so long? If your system isn’t too old and has competent upgrades, then it can be hard to justify that absence. Any experienced clinician understands his or her own office enough to know whether or not that absence is detrimental to overall clinic success.

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/.

Linear Accelerators Market to Grow to $3.9 Billion by 2024

A new study has been released indicating a massive growth in the market for the linear accelerators for radiation around the world. Forecasts predict growth in the market to $3.9 billion by 2024, which is up from $2.5 billion in 2019. This growth spans across several applications, such as hospitals and clinics to research institutes medical schools. Many large companies will see this growth including Elekta and Siemens as well as Varian Medical Systems and ACCURAY.

The objectives for this research are vast but one, in particular, is to focus on key global Linear Accelerators for Radiation manufacturers to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years.

Whether or not these key manufacturers will be unchanged the same come 2024 remains to be seen.

Removal and Disposal of Medical Equipment

Technology is continuously changing and what was a brand-new machine last year, might be three models behind three hundred and sixty-five days later.  That means that it is not uncommon for hospitals and medical practices to remove and dispose of their medical equipment on a regular basis.  After all, they all want to offer the latest technological advances to their patients.

One of the first things that needs to be completed for linear accelerator removal, CT scanner disposal, or getting rid of any other medical equipment is to remove any of the personal patient information that may be stored on it.  This needs to be completed to meet HIPAA regulations and guidelines, but also to ensure that no patient will have their information getting into the wrong hands.
Some older equipment can always have the information removed and then the equipment can be sold to medical businesses who are looking to upgrade their equipment without spending a lot of money.  This is a great way for businesses to get some money for their CT scanner or linear accelerator removal and put it towards their future purchase.

Of course, it is not always possible to sell older medical equipment, and in those instances, it is best to send the equipment for recycling.  This will ensure that all these medical devices are not filling up landfills, plus some of the parts may be able to be used to repair broken down equipment.

Medical facilities will want to make sure that they are following all the federal guidelines, as well as their state guidelines for their linear accelerator removal and CT scanner disposal.  If they don’t, they will find that they are responsible for paying fines and fees that can be tens of thousands of dollars.
Every medical facility will have their own guidelines that they want to follow as well, which means that the removal and disposal of medical equipment is never going to always be the same.  Some facilities may try to sell their old medical equipment prior to purchasing new equipment, while others will have a new piece of equipment ready to be installed prior to removing the older version.
Medical facilities cannot face any down time with their equipment, because their patients would needlessly suffer.  That is why many places have detailed plans in place, so that they are ready when they are facing a linear accelerator removal or CT scanner disposal.

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.