Many times, when a facility gets a new or refurbished linear accelerator, they are replacing an older piece of equipment that needs to be removed.  If you have ever worked with a LINAC you can only imagine how difficult the removal process can be.  Not only is it a large piece of machinery you are dealing with the removal of a highly sophisticated machine that is quite expensive.  On top of all of that it is important to remember you are working with in a medical facility that is busy treating patients. Removing a linear accelerator, CT scanner, or any other large scaled machinery is not a simple task by any means. 

Through careful planning, companies like Acceletronics can minimize the hassle when removing and installing linear accelerators.  Our team of experts specialize in the removal of linear accelerators.   Our staff with guide you throughout the process to ensure your facility continues to run as expected and that the disruption to patient care is minimal.  

First things first, safety is the top priority!  Not only do we want to keep our employees safe, we are continually improving safety techniques to ensure safety for all.  Here are some of the ways that we work to establish a safe environment when removing large scaled medical equipment like linear accelerators.

• Areas that will be accessed in removal of the linear accelerator are all blocked off.  This includes areas of the medical facility, parking areas, and side streets when necessary. 
• Accurate measurements are taken to prevent any emergency vault door removal.  Removing the vault doors poses a risk to personnel and patients within the facility.  Measuring, planning, and careful execution prevents this risk.
• Water, lock and tag power is all shut off to the treatment room where your linear accelerator is location.  This prevents injury to the rigging team.  These tasks are completed by facility personnel who are familiar with the utility systems and helps to prevent dangerous mistakes that can happen when individuals unfamiliar to the location are tasked to complete utility shut down.
• A plan is always in place for the handling of any materials deemed hazardous. 

Many times, relocation of linear accelerators can occur on weekends or after hours which will help to eliminate any disruptions that may occur.  It is important to work with companies that adhere to health protocols of your facility when working with you.  The goal is to minimize risk to patients while ensuring quality patient care. 

Budgeting is another area that the professionals at Acceletronics work with clients. Purchase and removal of LINAC systems is not inexpensive by any means.  In order to help mitigate the costs and ensure you are not spending more than you need to when removing a linear accelerator, we offer you tips.

• Planning and transparency is needed from the beginning to the end of the equipment removal process.  In order to prevent confusion, errors in communication, or logistic issues that can increase costs it is crucial to have everyone working on the project in the know.  Every detail, every change, and every hurdle needs to be thoroughly addressed with each and every person involved in the process.  This will save you money.  Preventing errors with detailed planning and complete transparency will keep expenditures within the quoted allotment. 
• When planning the time when the equipment will be removed choose a period that will cause the least amount of disruption to the operations of your facility.  Although it may cost a bit more to have the removal take place on the weekends or a holiday it is less costly then a disruption to patient care.
• Often companies can get credit for machines that are still in operational condition.  Credit for working parts can decrease the cost of removal.  The savings that is passed on to you will be determined by the year of the LINAC, the make, model, and condition. 

Finally, the execution of removing the systems comes into play.  After some major pre-planning and all of the pieces of the puzzle working to complete a whole picture the removal process can occur.

As previously mentioned, accurate measurements are a key element is removal.  Costly errors occur when measuring is not precise. Before we arrive on site, facilities will give us a complete rig info sheet.  This will ensure that there are zero surprises when moving the LINAC through doorways.

It is also important that a pathway clear of obstruction is obtained when removing a linear accelerator.  Facilities should plan for the removal of furniture and unnecessary items in order to create a barrier free exit. 

After the machine is removed it needs to be transported.  It is important that a loading area is prepared to allow for this to easily occur.  Most often a semi is needed.  To ensure the semi has access to the loading area it is crucial that the area is sectioned off and that the exit is kept clear.  The smoother this process goes the less it will cost your facility. 

If you have any accessories or additional equipment that needs to be removed it is important to plan ahead.  It is less expensive to remove the main piece of equipment and accessories all at one time instead of completing the removal in multiple steps.  The more steps involved in the process the more costly it tends to be.  Accommodating removal of everything in one day is the least expensive way in which to execute medical equipment removal.

Once the room is clear of the LINAC and depending on your plan, the next steps can start to unfold.  There are many factors involved in coordinating the removal of a linear accelerator.  It is important to hire the right team to achieve your vision, and we think the professionals at Acceletronics can help! We have years of experience in the removal and installation of new and refurbished linear accelerators.  Our team specializes in CT scanners and linear accelerators and would be delighted to partner with you in purchasing, removal, installation, servicing, and more. 

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/.

The pressure is high for the leaders of medical facilities to keep up on the changing technology of medical equipment, improve the quality of patient care, and reduce costs of medical equipment maintenance and care. Creating a cost saving strategy in medical equipment maintenance allows facility leaders to stay ahead of their competition without budget concerns.  One way many healthcare facilities have chosen to do this is through outsourcing.  This allows medical facilities to purchase service and repair contracts from companies that specialize in the service and repair of large scaled medical equipment such as linear accelerators and CT scanners. 

Healthcare centers rely on medical equipment to provide the highest quality of care to patients at all times.  It is crucial that your facility have a system in place to manage, maintain, and repair high end, technologically advanced medical equipment like LINAC.  This can be done simply by contracting services through an OEM or third-party service provider.  Facilities must have a strategy in place that fits their exact needs including both maintenance and repair.

Considerations in Medical Equipment Service Contracts

When you are purchasing a contract, it is important to make sure you know exactly what is and what is not covered.  Full-service contracts, through an OEM or third-party provider should normally provide parts, labor, and preventative maintenance.  Analyze your facility’s medical equipment needs.  Ask yourself the following:

• What times of the day is equipment used for patient care?
• Are back-up systems available if the main piece of equipment is down?
• How old is the current equipment? What is the service history of the equipment?

Ways Facilities Can Save When Contracting an OEM or Third-Party Provider

• Choose an 8 am to 5 pm, Monday-Friday option for service and maintenance.
• Combine equipment and facilities into a single contract.

In-House Strategies to Support Contracted Services

Even with contracted services there should be an in-house program to support it.  There are quite a few cost saving strategies including the assessment of available staff, the competency of your staff, the history of equipment, and the level of risk the hospital wants to assume.

• Determine your staff’s availability and capability.  The staff should attend training and expectations of the level of support to be given for each piece of equipment should be determined.
• Do a complete cost/benefit analysis between a full-service contract vs a combination of contracted services and staff maintenance.  Remember to consider the costs associated with training, parts, and additional tools/equipment that would be needed.
• Review the historical data on the expense of labor and parts for each piece of equipment.  This will help you determine the cost of parts and labor under contract if you wouldn’t have had a contract in place vs having the contract in place.

As mentioned earlier there are a number of different medical equipment service, maintenance, and repair plans beyond full-service contracts. These include:

• Preventive Maintenance Contract
• Parts Only Contract
• Biomed Support Contract

After doing research and analysis on your existing equipment you should have a good idea on which type of service contract best suits your company.  Linear accelerator maintenance, repair, service, and parts will obviously cost more than then the same services on a hospital bed.  These are the things that facility leaders need to account for when contracting with an OEM or third-party service company.

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/.

As promised in our last blog post today we will dive into the concept of radiation therapy.  In our last installment we discussed linear accelerators and how the radiation beam is produced and delivered.  If you are unfamiliar with LINAC and how radiation is created and delivered look back at our previous blog post before continuing. 

Radiation Therapy

The treatment of cancer with radiation is known as radiation therapy. Depending on the type of cancer you have been diagnosed with will depend on the way radiation therapy is delivered to your tumor(s).  The most common method of radiation therapy is external beam therapy.  This involves delivery of radiation to the cancerous tumors from outside of the body.  The radiation is delivered directly to the tumor.  A LINAC allows the radiation beam to be shaped in the same shape as the cancerous tumor.  Another option of radiation therapy is internal radiation therapy.  This treatment involves implanting radiation directly onto the cancerous tumor. The nature of the cancer being treated will determine the type of radiation therapy delivered.

How It Works

Radiation therapy does not distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells although the effect is greater on cancerous cells. The highest dose of radiation possible is delivered to the cancerous tumor in the attempt to kill, break down, and shrink tumor. Smaller doses of radiation can be delivered when palliative care is the goal.  The goal of palliative care is to relive symptoms of cancer by shrinking the size of the tumor.  Palliative care is focused on increasing the quality of life left for a patient and their family. 

Who Performs Radiation Therapy

A radiotherapist/radiation oncologist is what we refer to as a physician specializing in the treatment of cancer. This individual is the person that will plan and oversee your treatment from beginning until the end of treatment.  Radiation is delivered by a professional known as a radiation specialist.  A team of professionals will work with your specialists to ensure you are receiving the best care possible.  Some of the members of this team include: nurses, health care assistants, counselors, and dietitians. 

Treatment Plan

Each course of radiation therapy is uniquely designed for the patient that is being treated.  A preliminary appointment will be scheduled in which you will discuss your course of treatment.  This plan is created by your radiation oncologist and radiation therapist using all the scans and x-rays that have been taken of your cancerous tumor.  The skin is colored in to define the location of the tumor and where the treatment will be delivered.  If radiation is being delivered to your head a head shell will be created for you that allows for the exact placement of treatment to be marked on the shell vs on your skin.  Treating cancer in the mouth or throat will require a dental assessment to determine if dental treatment is needed before radiation can be delivered.

Inpatient vs Outpatient

Patients that can go to and from the hospital easily will most likely be allowed to have outpatient radiation therapy.  Your radiation oncologist will tell you if they would prefer your treatment to be inpatient but overall most treatment is done on an outpatient basis. 

Additional Tests/Scans During Treatment

Over the course of radiation therapy, patients will be asked to have an occasional blood draw or urinalysis completed.  X-rays and other scans can also be required to determine if the radiation is working and if the placement of the treatment is correct based on the shrinking or break down of the tumor. 

During Treatment What Should I Avoid

Radiation therapy should be considered an interruption to normal life.  Your daily life can be continued as normal if you are feeling emotionally and physically able. 

Things to Keep in Mind During Radiation Therapy

Delivery – External radiation therapy is delivered using a machine known as a linear accelerator which was described in detail in our last installment.  For radiation to be delivered, you as the patient will be asked to lie on a couch under the LINAC and will need to remain still until the treatment is over.

Pain – Radiation therapy is painless.  The radiation can not be felt or seen during delivery.

Radioactivity – Patients always wonder if they will be radioactive after receiving radiation therapy.  You can rest assured that you will not be radioactive, there is no possible way for this to occur.

Duration – The duration of treatment will be decided by your radiation oncologist.  A course of radiation can be between one treatment to one every day, for one week to six weeks.  This will all depend on the type of cancer being treated, the dose of radiation needed, the part of the body being treated, and the aim at therapy whether it is therapeutic or palliative.

Length of Sessions – The length of each radiation session varies between machines and what is planned in your specific treatment plan.  Some LINAC operate at a faster rate than others.  Some cancerous tumors respond better to longer treatment sessions with smaller doses of radiation.  On average patients can expect that their sessions will last between five and fifteen minutes. 

Do’s and Don’ts During Treatment

Do’s

• Make sure to drink plenty of fluids
• Eat a regular, balanced diet
• Shower regularly

Don’ts

• Avoid alcohol, spicy food, or extreme hot and cold food
• Avoid exposure to sunlight on the treated area
• Avoid applying creams and deodorant to the treated area

Side Effects

Radiation treatment is localized.  Side effects depend on the location of treatment on the body.  We should note that side effects are rare however the following can occur:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Frequent Urination
• Sore Throat
• Localized Hair Loss

Work

Patients can keep on working as usual as long as they are feeling able and their radiation oncologists agree.  If your oncologist suggests time off for rest, it is best to listen to them and avoid work.

Once Treatment Is Finished

If you do have any of the above side effects, it can be assumed that they will end after a week or two.  The full benefits of radiation can usually be reached after a few weeks.  You will follow up with your specialists after four to six weeks of your final radiation treatment.  This will all be determined by your radiation therapist. 

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/.

Medical facilities have a lot to consider when purchasing new or refurbished medical equipment.  It is imperative to offer clients the highest patient care possible while also meeting the goals of the facility.  As patients we often don’t consider the rigorous behind the scenes work it takes to bring us the latest and greatest treatments.  We just want to know that we are getting the best possible treatment for our unique situation.  This is especially true in the treatment of cancer.

Being told you need radiation is perhaps one of the scariest things you will hear.  Everyone has their own experience while going through the process to eliminate their cancer however, it seems the “negative” always outshines the positive as we are seeking answers to questions before our own treatment begins.  We are here to help.  The following installments will give you a solid understanding on the ins and outs of treatment.  Information reduces anxiety and at a time when anxiety is at all time high the last thing you want is to have unanswered question in connection with your treatment.

First and foremost, lets talk about the medical equipment that will be used in treating your cancer with radiation therapy.  Linear accelerators are large machines that can be quite intimidating.  In all honesty, the size of the machine and the impact of the treatment are both extreme and just their sight can create anxiousness. The truth is there is no reason at all to be intimidated by the size or treatment that is provided by linear accelerators, LINAC.

A LINAC is a large piece of medical equipment that uses elevated electromagnetic waves to accelerate electrons into extreme energy in a linear path that travels through an accelerator waveguide.  These electrons collide with a heavy metal target and the result of the collision is the production of high energy x-rays (photons) that are delivered to the patient.  Linear accelerators have special features that allow these beams to be shaped to conform to the tumors shape.  The LINAC treatment angles can be manipulated receiving a variety of angles through the rotating gantry and movable treatment couch.

Linear accelerators, LINAC, continue to evolve.  Radiation therapy continues to advance as well.  What does this mean for patients? 

Increased survival rates, more efficient treatment, fewer side effects, faster results, and more await patients with the advancements of LINAC systems.  The radiation therapy process doesn’t have nerve wracking to patients.  In our next installment we will dive further into the treatment, side effects, and questions patients often ask when discussing treatment with radiation therapy.

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/.

Purchasing a linear accelerator takes a great deal of planning, an experienced team to pull it all together, and a commitment to purchasing a quality piece of equipment.  The planning process, as previously stated includes:

• Understanding the goals of your clinic
• Facility Planning
• Schedule
• Budget

In this installment we will look at the team of experts that you will need as you go about purchasing and implementing treatment using a large scaled piece of radiation therapy equipment such as a LINAC.  Putting an experienced team of experts in place starts by involving individuals who share a similar vision for the facilities project.  A unified group of professionals who will communicate with one another throughout the project.  This team should include: vault designer/construction, provider of the LINAC, physics support, IT team, and the facilities clinical team for implementation.  Choosing the best players for your team ensures success.  It is your responsibility when making a purchase of this magnitude to perform due diligence every step of the way.

Vault Designer/Construction

Only a specialist can design and construct a vault that is capable of safely accommodating a linear accelerator.  Not every construction company can create this safe space, it requires experience.  Having a reliable company, with proven results in your corner will not only save you money but also critical time as you begin planning the installation of your linear accelerator.

Linear Accelerator Provider

Not all LINAC and radiation therapy equipment providers are the same.  Don’t purchase equipment based solely on the basis of price as this is not the true cost of owning a linear accelerator.  It is crucial, whether you are purchasing a new, refurbished, or used linear accelerator that you work with a company that provides the necessary specialized installation and support needed throughout the ownership of the equipment.  Vendors such as Accelectronics, that can complete sales, delivery, installation, servicing, replacement parts, and removal provide reliability and accountability that many companies cannot compete with. 

Physics Support

Successful treatment and patient outcomes only can occur when a continuous quality assurance program is in place.  This group must have the tools and knowledge needed to make sure the installation and implementation of said equipment in your facility will be successful.  This can include but is not limited to the assurance that you are offering the best possible treatment, to ongoing FAQ support.

IT Team

The hardware and software of all types of medical equipment is ever changing, the same is true of radiation therapy equipment such as linear accelerators and CT scanners.  An IT team must be in place to ensure that equipment is kept up to date with the latest upgrades.  They also must understand the overall impact to the facility a new piece of equipment such as a LINAC will have.  Different systems must work together.  It is up to your IT team to implement this network in order to have successful patient outcomes.

Implementation

Once the other pieces of the puzzle are in place including technology, the clinical implementation team will work together to ensure the best treatment plans are delivered to patients. This team includes: in-house therapists, physicists, and dosimetrists.  This team is in place to guarantee an optimization treatment from beginning to end.

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/.