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Elekta Aims for More Accurate Radiation Therapy with Unity

A Swedish company is staking its hopes for a larger North American market on a radiation therapy device that can more accurately target tumors than current technology, including real-time imaging.

Eighteen years in development, Elekta’s Unity combines two incompatible devices, a Philips 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging machine (MRI) with a largely metal linear accelerator, and a highly sensitive linear accelerator or Linac, to produce high-resolution, or high field, images of tumors during cancer treatment. The sharper image allows the radiation therapist to use smaller margins to target the tumor, sparing surrounding healthy tissue from harmful rays.

The MRI-Linac also allows the radiation therapist to detect whether a tumor has moved or changed, and to more accurately focus the beam during each treatment. Elekta’s Unity has demonstrated the dose of radiation within 1% and with 0.3mm accuracy, according to Jan Lagendijk, professor of clinical physics at University Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Lagendijk developed the MRI-Linac with Bas Raaymakers, a professor of experimental clinical physics at the same institution.

The radiation oncology market is large, with about half of all cancer patients receiving some type of radiation therapy sometime during the course of their treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Elekta is in the midst of a first-in-human trial at UMC Utrecht to measure the accuracy of Unity in five patients with spinal cord tumors. Radiation inaccurately directed at the spinal cord can cause paralysis, according to Kevin Brown, a physicist and vice president of Research and Innovation at Elekta.

“If you have cervical cancer, that’s moving around all day, quite dramatically,” Brown added. “With today’s technology, we have no way of dealing with that motion . . . This new technology is providing the next level of visualization of what you want to treat at the time you are treating it.”

This heightened precision might enable radiation oncologists to increase the dose at a particular visit and thus reduce the number of treatments, Brown added.

How did the researchers marry two highly incompatible technologies? It modified the MRI machine’s active shielding, introduced passive shielding, and redesigned the linear accelerator. The rest is proprietary information, Brown said.

“It was never possible to combine these two machines,” said Ina Jürgenliemk-Schulz, MD, a UMC Utrecht radiation oncologist and principal investigator of the study. “It was quite a milestone that they did it.”

Startup ViewRay (Oakwood Village, Ohio) patented a similar, but smaller MRI-Linac combo in 2011, a combined 6 MV Linac and 0.35-Tesla MRI machine it calls MRIdian Linac. That machine is considered low-field, but Brown said he’s glad that ViewRay paved the way with regulators. MRIdian Linac has already received CE Mark and 510(k) approval from FDA. Elekta expects to land the CE Mark for Unity by the end of 2017, followed by FDA approval. Elekta is one of the largest makers of radiation oncology devices and has the partnership with Philips on its side as well, Brown noted.

Kristofer Liljeberg, an analyst who follows Elekta for Carnegie, believes Unity could dominate this market segment in a few years.

“We believe the Unity MR Linac will be very important for Elekta to improve sales and order growth that has suffered in recent years,” Liljeberg wrote in an email. “Given the high interest from early adopters, Elekta should have a good chance [of] hitting the target of 75 orders until 2019.”

Original Source: http://www.mddionline.com/article/elekta-aims-more-accurate-radiation-therapy-unity-06-20-17

Original Author: Nancy Crotti

Original Date: June 20 2017

How we’re making radiotherapy a smarter, kinder treatment for cancer

Radiotherapy is a crucial part of treatment for many cancers. Here at the ICR, we’re developing new ways to use radiotherapy to kill cancer cells with fewer side effects and fewer hospital visits.

Given its 100-year history, you might be forgiven for thinking of radiotherapy as archaic, old-fashioned, out-of-date.

But you couldn’t be further from the truth.

More than 120,000 cancer patients in the UK are treated with radiotherapy each year and the technique continues to cure more people than all existing drugs combined.

Although the principle has remained the same through history – using radiation to damage DNA and kill cancer cells – the mode of delivery has become much more sophisticated over recent decades.

We founded our department of radiotherapy in the early 1940s and have been pioneers in developing the technology, at the forefront of some of the biggest developments that have improved patient care.

Our research into ways to target delivery of radiotherapy precisely to tumours has helped increase the effectiveness of radiation treatments, leading to changes in clinical practice, reduced treatment complications and improved cure rates.

Intensity modulated radiotherapy

Along with our hospital partner The Royal Marsden, we pioneered intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). This high-precision method enables the X-ray beam used in radiotherapy to be adjusted, changing beam shape and intensity as the machine moves around the body, to match the shape of the tumour. This spares the surrounding tissue, and allows higher intensities of radiation to be concentrated on the tumour.

Our researchers have shown that this technique reduces the severity of side-effects in many cancers – such as Professor Kevin Harrington’s research into avoiding dry mouth in patients treated for head and neck cancers, or Professor David Dearnaley’s work to reduce bowel, bladder and sexual side-effects in prostate cancer patients.

We have also shown that the technique is suitable for elderly patients with bladder cancer.

Image-guided radiotherapy

Advances in the imaging of cancer using scanning techniques allowed the ICR and The Royal Marsden to extend the potential of IMRT by combining diagnostics and therapeutics in a new technique, known as image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT).

This allows the radiation beam to be adjusted based on feedback from a scanner that monitors patients in real time.

The technique can accommodate for movement of tumours in the body as a patient moves, protecting surrounding tissue even more effectively.

The MR Linac – a UK-first set to revolutionise radiotherapy

The ‘daddy’ of image-guided radiotherapy, the MR Linac, combines two technologies – an MRI scanner and a linear accelerator.

This means we will be able to precisely locate and dose even moving tumours – such those of the lung, affected by breathing, or a prostate tumour that might move from day-to-day depending on what the person has eaten and how full their bowel is.

The ICR and The Royal Marsden are the first in the UK to receive the multimillion pound machine, which is due to be up and running, and ready to treat patients in 2018.

Reducing side effects of breast cancer radiotherapy

Professor Judith Bliss, Director of the ICR’s Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, and Professor John Yarnold led a study to reduce side effects from radiotherapy for breast cancer.

The IMPORT LOW trial, involving more than 2,000 women, demonstrated that postoperative radiotherapy focused only around the part of the breast that had contained the tumour has fewer long-term side effects and is just as effective as standard whole-breast radiotherapy.

The researchers hope the study will contribute to a change in clinical practice in the very near future.

Less is more for early breast cancers

Our work hasn’t just focused on precision targeting. We’ve also been looking at refining the doses of radiotherapy needed to kill cancer cells.

The START clinical trial, led by Professors Judith Bliss and John Yarnold, found that three weeks of radiotherapy is as good as five weeks for treating breast cancer – as well as being more convenient and less tiring for patients.

It has also had the added benefit of being cheaper for the health service, saving the NHS around £50 million per year since 2009.

Better for patients, better for the NHS

Professor David Dearnaley led a practice-changing clinical trial that found a shorter course of prostate cancer radiotherapy, involving 17 fewer hospital visits and higher individual doses of radiotherapy, is as effective as the current standard treatment for both survival and quality of life – and could save the NHS tens of millions of pounds per year.

Could gut bacteria dictate how people respond to radiotherapy?

Our researchers have begun the first study to look scientifically at the influence of gut bacteria on how people with cancer respond to radiation treatment.

Professor David Dearnaley and colleagues hope to shed light on whether some patients with a particular make-up of gut bacteria respond differently to radiotherapy, which in turn could affect the amount of radiotherapy they are offered.

The ultimate aims of this work are to reduce the severity of bowel problems after pelvic radiotherapy, and to find out if changing the make-up of the gut flora in individual patients will benefit patients.

Using radiotherapy in combination

Professor Kevin Harrington and his team have been working on combining radiotherapies with chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and even immunotherapies and viral therapies to compliment and boost their cancer-killing abilities.

Many of these combinations have been successful in the lab, and may soon be brought into clinical trial.

Support our work to refine radiotherapy

We are a charitable organisation and rely on support from donors and supporters, as well as grants from major funding organisations.

Find out more about our work to develop kinder, smarter radiotherapy treatments and how you can help us to continue to improve cancer patients’ lives.

Original Source: http://www.icr.ac.uk/blogs/science-talk-the-icr-blog/page-details/how-we-re-making-radiotherapy-a-smarter-kinder-treatment-for-cancer

Original Author: Dr Claire Hastings

Original Date: 11 July, 2017

 

Custom Liquid Cooling Systems from Laird Optimize Particle Accelerators Performance

Laird has developed self-contained liquid cooling systems (LCS) that deliver optimal temperature stabilization for more precise temperature control in particle accelerators like linear accelerators (LINACs) and cyclotron systems. LINACs and cyclotrons increase the kinetic energy of particles for use in a variety of applications, ranging from scientific studies on particle physics to radiation therapy for cancer patients. Temperature control within the linear accelerator and cyclotron systems is critical for operational integrity, performance accuracy and system reliability.

One example of a LINAC system is Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) equipment used for treating cancer. IMRT equipment requires thermal consistency to maintain beam energy and stability. The tungsten target, the waveguide, the acceleration chamber, and the magnets all require thermal management to dissipate heat buildup and maintain temperature stability for optimal operation. Even the cabinet electronics, amplifiers and power supplies, require cooling due to the heat generated during operation. For example, certain components in an IMRT system, such as the process board, require thermal control within about 0.5 degree C.

Cyclotron systems, like Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners, require cooling of both the cyclotron equipment that generates the radioactive substance and the detector banks in the imaging system. The amplifiers, power supplies, and vacuum chamber also need cooling. To avoid noise in the image due to leakage current, the detectors need to be kept at a constant temperature relative to one another.

Liquid cooling systems recirculate coolant to a predefined set-point temperature, while dissipating the large amount of heat generated in the densely packed electronic environment of IMRT and PET systems. An LCS offers higher efficiency than air-based heat exchangers and provides more rapid cooling, quieter operation, higher reliability, and increased system uptime.

Laird offers three types of liquid cooling systems to meet most any application demands: liquid-to-air configuration; liquid-to-liquid configuration; and compressor-based chiller system. Depending on system requirements, additional features for precise temperature control and variable coolant flow rate, coolants with corrosion inhibitors, and coolant filtration are available. In IMRT and PET systems, temperature control of multiple liquid circuits is often required, as is high operational temperature. Control of multiple pressure, flow, and temperature settings can easily be accommodated in a single system design.

Given the complexity of some IMRT and PET systems, usage of a custom designed LCS with plug-and-play components may be a good solution. For example, quick connect fittings allow easy service and maintenance, such as a bottom drain for removing the coolant by gravity, or a pump that is easy to swap out to simplify ease-of-service. Custom housing configurations for unique environments may also be required. Laird has the knowledge to custom design liquid cooling systems for linear accelerator and cyclotron applications, as well as the experience to support and service them.

“The increasing intricacy of thermal management means that linear accelerator and cyclotron systems often require custom liquid cooling systems. Laird’s experience in the design, manufacturing, and servicing of liquid cooling systems, as well as our expertise in pumps, compressor technology, heat exchangers, and electro-mechanical controls allows IMRT and PET manufacturers to focus on their end product design, while leaving the thermal management issues to the experts,” said Anders Kottenauer, Senior Vice President of Laird’s Engineered Thermal Systems Business.

Laird

Original Source: http://www.designworldonline.com/custom-liquid-cooling-systems-laird-optimize-particle-accelerators-performance/
Original Author: Taylor Meade
Original Date: June 1, 2017

Outsourcing Medical Equipment Maintenance Is Beneficial

Indeed a hot and never-ending topic in the medical world, outsourcing seemingly has more benefits than its demerits. Especially whether they are the pricey equipment or just the Replacement Parts for Oncology Equipment, outsourcing the maintenance services serve a great money-saving idea. The following benefits are merely an eye-opener.

Benefits of outsourcing medical tools maintenance services

Arguably the greatest motivator behind outsourcing the maintenance services, the practice eliminates the need to hire in-house personnel. The need to repair and replace the machines isn’t as always as the other gigs, and thus, there’s no reason to hire someone whose job will not be a guarantee.

Moreover, most of the best persons skilled and experienced in doing the maintenance will consume a massive chunk of the facility’s funds. The biomedical technicians are so trained that the medical facility can’t guarantee their average salaries. So, an outsourced program reduces the overall costs of managing the most vital clinical assets.

An independent medical equipment company is a sure bet and will oversee the huge scope of work in a much reduced period. Such a firm is usually a collection of specialized minds who guarantee the highest standard of quality. And, granted that they can be only alerted whenever the job pops up, that’s a good idea considering their reliability and credibility whenever there’s a problem.

Pretty much like the medical sector is a dynamic and ever-growing industry, the ability to get skilled Biomed technicians always isn’t always guaranteed. A medical facility might choose to hire someone responsible for all the repairs, and that will not mean they’ll get the best brains. Clinical engineering technicians are a rarity, especially when the need for quality services is concerned.

Another benefit that comes with hiring independent medical equipment maintenance experts is their perfect knowledge concerning the best spare parts. When it comes to selecting the best tools like the Replacement Parts for Oncology Equipment, someone who is actively engaged in the industry have the answers. They’re also equipped with the latest manuals, test fixtures, and diagnostic devices and are less likely to fail.

For a facility that’s highly essential in offering the most reliable services for all, choosing a professional with experience can’t be overestimated. Being a professional extends to how you handle those less-important tasks. There will be no unpleasant glitches in your facility, and in the end, you’ll grow and become a viable solution for your patients.

There you have it; outsourcing can be expensive, but not as costly as having in-house personnel who is regularly paid for services needed once for an extended period. Firms to outsource the services from aren’t hard to locate.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Cutting Costs Without A Decrease In Quality

Medical centers are always looking for ways to cut costs when it comes to maintaining, repairing and purchasing new equipment.  This article includes the top ways that hospitals and medical facilities can cut costs while continuing to improve quality care and patient outcomes.

The best way to save money in any industry is to continuing using the equipment that is already owned.  It is common for medical facilities to outsource medical equipment support services.  Using external service providers while having reliable support in house, otherwise known as clinical engineers, keeps equipment running at peak performance.  Simple in house adjustments and simple repairs can save a tremendous amount of money.  Not only are you saving on the cost of outsourced vendor services but also on the costs associated with any downtime experienced with medical equipment failure.

Support can be provided in a number of ways including in person and remote services.  Instead of assuming your issue can only be resolved by having a technician come out to your facility ask about less expensive remote services.  Many repairs can be accomplished through a remote technician.  Through the remote session the technician can diagnosis if the equipment can be resolved with simple tweaks or if service personnel are needed on site.  Most medical equipment vendors can offer support remotely twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  Many times on staff clinical engineers can even repair equipment with the support of the remote operator.  The nature of remote services allows the vendor to support more than one client at a time thus costing less for remote services.

Instead of working directly with the original equipment manufacturer, OEM, consider getting support from trusted third party medical equipment repair support service specialists.  Working with OEMs tends to be more costly and take significantly more time then services using a third party vendor.  This is a simple way to have necessary services performed on equipment while maintaining patient care.

One of the most effective ways that medical facilities can save money when it comes to large, specialized medical equipment is to make sure that regular maintenance is performed.  Imaging equipment including linear accelerators and ct scanners are known for having particularly long life cycles.  It is in the best interest of facilities to take advantage of this benefit.  Scheduling proper maintenance and timely repairs allows facilities to get the most out of expensive medical equipment.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Benefits Of Outsourcing Medical Equipment Repairs

In medical facilities there is a great debate when it comes to outsourcing and the hospitals bottom line. Leaders within the biomedical equipment repair industry agree on the overwhelming advantages that come with outsourcing.  The advantages of outsourcing discussed within this article also apply to several other departments within the healthcare industry.  In order to achieve long term goals amongst deep budget cuts medical facilities must create a solid foundation in asset management across the board including medical equipment service strategies.

Three Major Benefits of Outsourcing Biomedical Equipment Repair and MaintenanceStrategies

Lower Operating Expenses:  This seems like an obvious benefit of outsourcing but many individuals overlook it when evaluating the concept on a whole.  Outsourcing allows medical facilities to retain less personal, reducing operating expenses while increasing the results gained through experienced vendors.  Without the need to hire and train these highly specialized personnel resources labor and operating costs can be reduced.

Outsourcing leaves the vendors responsible for providing highly skilled, trained individuals to repair medical equipment at a moment’s notice.  These services can be paid for on an as needed basis instead of the facility being required to pay the salary and ongoing benefits that they would need to pay a full time biomedical equipment repair specialist.  Thus saving the facility the expense of recruiting, training and the exceptionally expensive extras involved in maintaining a staff of professionals to maintain, care for and repair specialized equipment similar to linear accelerators and CT scanners.

Quality: With the ongoing changes and growth in the technology of medical devices it is crucial to have access to biomed service technicians that are up to date on training and available immediately.  Qualified technicians are vital in keeping life saving equipment functioning properly and providing accurate test results.  Outsourcing allows medical facilities to contract skilled biomed equipment repair specialists to accurately maintain, efficiently diagnosis and repair equipment in a timely manner thus keeping life saving equipment functioning properly.

Capital Budgeting: In order for all businesses to function and grow it is vital that medical facilities, large or small, manage all of their assets, including personal, in an efficient manner.  It is crucial that in-house programs as well as those that are outsourced are prioritized.

There are so many ways in which it makes sense to outsource the area of biomed equipment repair services including lower operating expenses, quality technicians while assisting medical facilities of all sizes to remain vital and competitive.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Save Scary Amounts of Money on Linac Parts with Radparts

RadParts is the world’s largest independent, employee-owned distributor of linac parts and radiation oncology equipment. This month, customers can save scary amounts on two linac parts with October specials.

Now through the end of October, hydraulic actuators are on sale for $270, a savings of $50 off the regular price! A cylinder or fluid motor, hydraulic actuators convert hydraulic power into useful mechanical work. As a bonus this month, mention the newsletter email and receive the linkage kit free! Also on sale in October are flow switches 2, 3, 4 or 5 GPM. Priced at $145, customers save $20 this month on this part.

If you didn’t get our email newsletter, sign up here so you never miss a deal.

RadParts offers excellent value on quality linear accelerator parts and feature great sales every month in our newsletter. In addition to these savings, thanks to our around-the-clock and around-the-world service, companies and institutions needing parts never have to worry about when their replacement part will arrive or if they will be able to reach one of our service representatives. Radparts offers more than 60,000 linear accelerator replacement parts in its warehouses around the world and offers shipping options that include same day, next day and two day express.

Take advantage of these October specials and fantastic pricing on all linear accelerator parts, but hurry; this sale ends October 31. To order these discounted parts or to get more information about any of our other linac parts or products, please email parts@radparts.com or call 24 hours, 7 days a week (including holidays) toll-free at 877-704-3838.

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