Category: Acceletronics - page 16

What Is a Linear Accelerator?

A linear accelerator is a device that uses high Radio-Frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves to accelerate charged particles to high energies in a linear path, inside a tube like structure called the accelerator waveguide. The resonating frequency of the medical linac is about 3 billion Hertz cycles per second. This is the most common device to treat cancer with external beam radiation. Accelerator is basically an apparatus for accelerating charged subatomic particles, used in radiotherapy, and the production of radionuclides.

A pulsed electron beam generated by an electron gun passes through a long, straight vacuum tube containing alternating hollow electrodes. The electrodes are arranged so that, when their high frequency potentials are properly varied, the electrons passing through the tube receive successive increments of energy. The electrons are stopped abruptly by a heavy metal target and directed by a collimator to deliver super voltage X-Rays to the patient receiving radiotherapy.

The linear accelerator (Linac), uses microwave technology to accelerate electrons in a part of the linac called waveguide, then allows these electrons to collide with a heavy metal target. As a result of these collisions, high energy X-Rays (Photons) are produced from the target.

Linear Accelerator Technicians: Performs advanced technical support related to the maintenance and operation of medical linear accelerators. Jobs include preventive maintenance scheduling and responding to down linear accelerator parts and services, Coordinates vendor service and documentation, when necessary. Maintains inventory and orders parts for linear accelerators. Can assist in the design and modification of treatment accessories for physics and other departmental equipment as needed for patient treatment, quality assurance and research support. May require an ASEE or equivalent or Bachelors’ degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or a directly related field. A senior position requires five (5) years of directly related experience maintaining and servicing medical linear accelerators. Specific experience is typically required on Varian Linear Accelerators. Authorized Varian training is highly desirable. Manufactures of these items include Siemens, Philips, Varian, and Elekta. Repair organizations include Acceletronics, Centura, and Altair.

When linear accelerator parts and services breaks down it is imperative that repair services are almost immediate. Downtime in a medical setting can literally be the difference between life and death so having the ability to have direct access to medical equipment repair services should be of the outmost priority. Another detail that is forgotten is the urgency of finding the parts for medical equipment. Without the proper parts to fix down machines technicians are at a stalemate with getting much need equipment like LINACS and CT scanners up and going again.

Having instantaneous access to OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators, Radiotherapy CT Simulators and Radiation Oncology equipment is pertinent.  With newer equipment it is often difficult to find access to replacement parts. Newer medical equipment can be difficult to find replacement parts for simply because of the newness of the piece to the market.

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.

Hiring the Right Linear Accelerator Service Specialist

Cancer is a big dilemma of the present times. While some types of cancers are treatable, others remain without cures. There are several treatment methods that are used by medical professionals to stabilize the life of cancer patients and even prolong it if possible. These treatments often include chemotherapy and radiation machines.

There are a number of medical facilities that are home to machines responsible for providing radiation to cancer patients. They are also known as LINAC systems. Intricate in their technology, it takes lots of investment to buy these systems and maintain them for effective functioning. It can become a real problem for many cancer patients if these systems suddenly stop working. For this purpose, medical facilities are often supported by a linear accelerator service specialist.

A linear accelerator service specialist is a professional skilled in repairing the LINAC systems. They have the right knowledge and experience to resolve any maintenance issue with the machines.

In order hire the right linear accelerator service specialist, ensure that the person has can comply with the following:

Professional Degree

A degree or specialization in repairing the radiation machines is very helpful in determining the skill set of the person you hire. A degree ensures that the linear service specialist has a fair knowledge of how the machine works and engineering required to maintain it at a functioning level.

Quick Thinking

Intricate machinery can be unpredictable at times. Often, it is not easy to identify problems and it can take days to restore its function. However, a linear service specialist with quick thinking can either determine the problems soon or provide an alternative solution that will work for the time being. It is important to restore these systems as quickly as possible because they are responsible for the health of many cancer patients.

Associated with an Organization

Instead of hiring a separate individual who specializes in this field, it is better to hire the help of a professional company that provides such engineer. Such companies have more credibility and reliability as compared to individuals. They often provide their employees with specific training that keeps updating their knowledge and a set of complementary services as well.

Patience and Professionalism

Machines are not easy to understand. Therefore, you need a person who has the patience to deal with tough issues. Moreover, you need individuals that can show professionalism. Medical facilities are run on specific rules and it important that the hired person can comply with these rules. They should also understand their responsibilities so that they can add to the productivity of the environment around them.

Machines are quite expensive to install and you should hire a linear accelerator service specialist that can maintain them properly. They should be able to understand the importance of the LINAC systems and the investment required to run them. Use a thorough process to come across the right individual for this job as you don’t want to invest money in the wrong place or damage the expensive units.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

 

 

Advantages Of Refurbished Medical Equipment

There are a number of advantages that medical facilities will benefit from when buying refurbished medical equipment and supplies over brand new.

Of course the very first advantage seen with buying refurbished linear accelerators or CT scanners or any large scaled item is that it will save you money!  With the cost of large scaled medical equipment reaching easily into the millions we are talking about a significant savings.  A new linear accelerator can costs between three and four million dollars.  Buying a refurbished unit, even at a thirty percent discount saves the facility one point two million dollars.  That is a huge savings!

The one major concern many facilities have is that the savings they are seeing in buying a refurbished unit will be spent on serving the unit.  The truth is that refurbished equipment is just as reliable as brand new equipment with one advantage.  If a refurbished machine breaks down parts and service are more readily available.  Older units are easier to find parts for than newer units simply because they have been around longer.

Manufacturers have become familiar what parts on certain models are more susceptible to needing to be replaced or serviced.  Whereas brand new equipment just being introduced to the market has yet to establish issue that may arise.  In many cases new equipment diagnosis takes longer than refurbished equipment.  The issues are more unknown and are still being discovered.  Parts and service on new equipment may also be more difficult to find because technicians aren’t as familiar with new models and parts are still be used in manufacturing original units.

Rest assured with refurbished medical equipment.  It does the exact same job that a new piece does at up to fifty percent cheaper.  Although there is never a guarantee that equipment will fail the chance of failure remains the same between the two options.  The process of refurbishing medical equipment is incredibly thorough.  Highly skilled, trained Biomedical Professionals work to restore each piece of equipment back to its original form.  Refurbished equipment including linear accelerators aren’t put on the market to be sold until it has gone through arduous testing, assessments, and has  support documentation detailing the unit meets the original manufacturers standards.

There are a number of benefits when it comes to purchasing and using refurbished medical equipment although the most obvious are the cost savings and ability to obtain replacement parts and service quickly.  You can find suppliers of refurbished medical equipment, parts and services online today.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

Save Time and Money Purchasing Refurbished Medical Equipment

Purchasing medical equipment that is used or refurbished is a great way to save money for your facility without sacrificing on quality.   In all actuality, the only real difference between brand new and refurbished medical equipment and parts is the amount of money and time that will be needed to invest in finding an excellent deal.

Many times medical facilities can save upwards of fifty percent off the original cost of equipment by purchasing refurbished over brand new.  It can result in quite a savings for your medical facility when you consider equipment such as linear accelerators which can run around four million dollars.  In a facility that is just getting established this can be a make or break difference.

The most obvious advantage to buying used or refurbished is the reduced price of the equipment.  For every piece of new equipment facilities look to purchase it is possible to find something similar for a reduced price.  Equipment that you can find at a lower price used or refurbished varies from intravenous poles to CT scanners.

It is important to remember that when you buy equipment that has been refurbished you are buying a device that has been restored to its original state.  The refurbishing process is completed by highly skilled medical technician that specialize in restoring medical equipment to almost new condition before it can be resold.

Refurbished devices have been restored to their original state.  This means that any part that was worn out has been replaced and that the device is comparable to one that is brand new.  When you decide to look into refurbished medical equipment and supplies you will be able to find high end devices that are durable at a substantial discount.

Many companies that refurbish medical equipment offer their own warranty and guhttp://www.acceletronics.comarantee to protect the purchaser for faulty equipment.  The policies will differ from company to company so it is important to know exactly what type of warranty or guarantee comes with your purchase.

To get a better idea of exactly who you are purchasing equipment from take time to do a little research.  Before making a final buying decisions check out the companies background information.  Has the company been in business long?  What type of reputation do they have regarding their services after a purchase has been made?  What about their quality standards and customer service?  As important as it is to buy a quality piece of refurbished equipment it is as equally crucial to be sure that they will be able to offer you support after the purchase.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

Purchasing Large Scaled Medical Equipment

One of the biggest obstacles faced in running a medical facility is the expense of purchasing equipment and supplies.  It is a struggle to stay within the allotted budget while continuing to offer the highest quality treatment to patients.   The ability to scale back on expenses in the medical field is far more difficult than in many other areas of business.  To save money while continuing to provide top notch care, medical facilities must plan ahead and make smart business purchasing decisions.

One way facilities work to achieve this is to purchase refurbished medical equipment instead of purchasing brand new.  There are a number of advantages involved in purchasing refurbished medical equipment including: cost, quality, environmental, service, and reliability.

Cost

The most obvious benefit of buying refurbished medical equipment is the cost advantage.  Medical facilities can cut a lot of excess out of their allotment for medical equipment by purchasing equipment and supplies that have been refurbished.  Inpatient care is one of the highest costs in the industry with most of the expense coming from basic supplies and equipment use.

Quality

When the choice is made to purchase an item that is refurbished from a reputable medical equipment supplier, you can rest assured that the piece has been thoroughly tested.  In order to be sold, refurbished equipment must go through a stringent examination to test that it is both safe and reliable.

Environmental 

Think of refurbishing in the same way that you think about recycling.  It is all about using something again over buying something new in order to prevent waste. Purchasing refurbished medical equipment like linear accelerators and ct scanners help in reducing the carbon footprint that that the medical industry is leaving.  Finding eco-friendly medical supplies and equipment can often be difficult.  Buying refurbished medical equipment is a safe manner in which to bring eco-friendliness to your medical practice.

Service

There are a number of benefits to working with a refurbished medical equipment supplier.  One of the main perks is the detailed customer service you will receive.  With knowledgeable support people at the helm you can rest assured that all of your needs will be taken care of.

Reliability

There are a variety of reasons to buy a product that has been on the market.  When buying new you are buying a product that has yet to stand the test of time.  With a refurbished model, the equipment has had time to be tested and all of the kinks worked out.  Think about it, if the model is unsafe for any reason it will be off the market by the time you are searching for a refurbished model.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

Key Elements To Find In Medical Equipment Maintenance Suppliers

Medical maintenance services ranging from hospital equipment maintenance to clinical equipment services benefit numerous healthcare experts.    Equipment performance solutions are utilized to benefit healthcare administrators, department managers and facility directors.  Whether your position entails obtaining refurbished medical equipment and supplies or to schedule hospital equipment maintenance an established equipment performance schedule will aid facilities in saving lives, time and money.

As a medical equipment service provider it is important to recognize that every client and facility is different and therefore cannot adhere to the same maintenance and repair schedule.  Each client that is in need of services is unique. There are some very specific abilities you should look for when entering into a contract with medical equipment specialists.  The items below will help you in your quest to find a company to work with to service all of your medical equipment from linear accelerators to toilet chairs.

One of the most important qualities you can find in an independent service provider is a twenty four seven service provider.  When equipment breaks down it is crucial that you can speak with an equipment specialists any time of day.  This will ensure that your equipment isn’t down for an extended period of time.

Another quality to look for is a company that utilizes software to keep track of all aspects of services performed on the hospital equipment.  Tracking each piece of equipment and its performance from when it is installed to the minute it is retired will allow you to make better purchasing decisions in the future.  Solid record keeping ensures that equipment does not miss service dates, helps with future budgeting, allows department heads to quickly track equipment and provides easy access to compliance related stats on equipment.

Another quality to look for in a company that services medical equipment is regular reporting.  Standard reports acts as a check and balance on inventory while creating a summary of maintenance and repairs.  This report should also show all repairs that are currently open and scheduled.

Find a medical service provider that offers a number of flexible service coverage options.  Companies most often offer a preventative maintenance plan, a comprehensive service plan or a combination of the two.  This allows companies to service facilities differently depending on their exact needs. Having options allows facilities to protect their budget and service costs.

Many facilities that service medical equipment also provide refurbished and used hospital equipment for sale.  This provides a significant cost savings on equipment purchases.  When working with a service provider that also sells equipment you can be assured you are getting the best of both worlds.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

Proper Medical Equipment Maintenance

The rate at which hospitals are seeing patients continues to grow each and every year.  In order to continue to compete against one another hospitals must maintain state of the art facilities and equipment.  From simple procedures to complex surgeries, patients expect the highest level of patient care available. Physicians and patients alike rely on medical equipment to be in working order for proper diagnosis and treatment.

In order to maintain a high level of care medical facilities must rely on independent medical service companies for proper equipment maintenance and repair.  With regular checks and balances performed on medical equipment, proper repairs can be made right away allowing for fewer mistakes.  Regularly scheduled equipment maintenance and repairs help save time, money, and lives.

The number one concern of any hospital or equipment manufacturer is patient safety.  As part of a quality control routine, hospitals and medical equipment manufacturers regularly calibrate and test machines.  Strict calibration and testing on medical equipment helps with quality control measures, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plans.  This also helps to increase the longevity on medical equipment such as linear accelerators and ct scanners.

Another vital part in making sure medical equipment is running at its peak performance and is producing accurate results is routine maintenance.  Regular machine maintenance guarantees accuracy in patient diagnosis and treatment.  It is crucial to perform medical equipment maintenance routinely and not just when machines break down.  With annual machine calibration services, routine maintenance and timely repairs medical equipment is sure to run at peak levels and yield accurate life saving results.

Medical imaging displays are becoming critical in displaying fast and reliable test results.  The displays must reproduce images properly while displaying subtle differences.  As a display age’s clarity may diminish.  To ensure the accuracy of the grayscale and ensure the highest level in patient care routine medical equipment calibration must be done.  Keeping the gray scale accurate on image displays allows physicians to make accurate diagnosis.  This can be done by performing regularly scheduled maintenance and calibration.

Medical monitor displays are highly important in the medical community.  It is important that they are displaying images appropriately to avoid difficulty in reading images and prevent misdiagnoses.  Medical display systems must be monitored, maintained and calibrated on a regular basis to guarantee uniformity in test results.  Don’t rely on self-calibrating systems as they do not account for overall uniformity.

To be certain nurses and physicians alike are able to treat patients appropriately it is crucial the medical equipment such as linear accelerators and ct scanners go through frequent calibration updates and routine maintenance and repairs.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

Safely Delivering Radiation Using Linear Accelerator Equipment

Linac, short for linear accelerator, is a piece of medical equipment used in radiology.  It matches high powered x-ray energy up with the shape of cancerous tumors, destroying the cancerous cells while preserving the healthy tissue surrounding the area.    Using a linear accelerator, oncology radiologists can be sure that a higher does than what has been prescribed is not being delivered to the area.  The machines are frequently checked by medical physicists to ensure proper function.

As a patient needing radiation therapy a treatment plan is developed specifically for you with the support of experts including a radiation oncologist, a radiation dosimetrist and a medical physicist.  Before the treatment begins your oncologist with double a triple check the plan and create a course of action to ensure that the radiation is delivered in the exact same manner each and every time.

LINAC devices are used to provide external beam radiation treatments for cancer patients.  The linear accelerator treats various areas throughout the body.  The concentrated x-ray beams are centered on the tumor in hope that the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor will be spared.  The linear accelerator allows the x-rays to be sent in the shape of the tumor using blocks in the head of the machine or a multi-leaf collimator that is a part of the machine head.

During treatment the patient is positioned on a moveable couch like table.  The patient remains still while the table and linear accelerator is moved into position for optimal treatment of the tumor.  The linear accelerator is operated by a radiation therapist.  This professional is in charge of actually delivering the correct dose of radiation prescribed by the radiation oncologist.

When radiation is delivered the safety of the patient and the therapist is of utmost importance.  In order to ensure that the proper treatment plan is in place it is thoroughly checked by the radiation oncologist, radiation dosimetrist and physicist before the treatments are performed.   Several quality control checks are in place to ensure that the treatment is given as prescribed.

Systems are built directly into the linear accelerator to ensure that a dose higher then what is prescribed is not delivered to the patient.  Checks are preformed daily by the linear accelerator operator, radiation therapist, to make certain the radiation intensity is uniform across the beam and that the machine is in proper working order.  On top of this the radiation physicist performs weekly and monthly checks on the machine.  Modern day LINAC have internal systems that check the machine and do not allow it to be turned on until all of the treatment requirements are met.  Patient and operator safety is of utmost important when radiation distribution is concerned.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

Success In Expanding Medical Facilities

Medical facilities are in a constant state of growth.  Centers that continue with the status quo path become stagnant.  It is imperative, for services to continue, that facilities keep up with the changing treatment options technology offers patients.  Refusing to keep pace with changing technology will inevitably cause your medical center to crumble.  In order to thrive and be successful in your endeavors your goal must remain steadfast; you must offer patients an unwavering commitment to the quality of patient care through trained staff and up to date equipment.

As a hospital or clinic continues to increase the services they provide they will most likely encounter the need to purchase large scaled equipment like linear accelerators and ct scanners.  Medical machinery is not mass produced and therefore each piece of equipment will have its own unique set of quirks.  With most facilities purchasing refurbished medical equipment, parts and supplies a review of the machines service history can be quiet telling.  Take a close look into what services have been performed and the frequency of service.

After this step is complete the next step is to analyze how the machine was previously utilized.  In linear accelerators each system has a set number of hours beams can expect to perform.  Reviewing this will allow you to see just how much the equipment has been used therefore allowing you to make certain estimations about its future.

The final step before making any purchase is to perform a physical inspection of the piece of equipment you are looking to purchase.  When performing the inspection you can get a detailed look at the machine.  It is also the time when you can ask questions regarding the systems usage on a daily basis.  This is crucial in learning the machines idiosyncrasies prior to using it in your own facility.

When budgeting for the purchase of a used or refurbished linear accelerator one of the main concerns should be the overall cost of owning and operating the machine.  When a machine is refurbished it is either done so for mechanical and/or cosmetic purposes.  Linear accelerators that have been refurbished operate as good as new LINAC.  Ask the seller for a detailed service report that includes all of the services that were performed before and during the refurbishing process.  Decipher what parts on the equipment have been replaced.  Were they replaced with new or refurbished parts?  Understand the warranty for both the machine and components to determine what you will be responsible for verse what is covered if the machine should fail in the future.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.

The Process Of Buying A Linear Accelerator

It takes a great deal of forethought when purchasing any large piece of medical equipment, especially a linear accelerator.  The process of buying medical equipment should be left to an experienced team of experts.  It takes a great deal of planning and commitment to quality in order to ensure the equipment purchased meets your facilities exact needs.

Each of these three elements: an experienced team, commitment to quality and detailed planning all make for successful purchasing of a linear accelerator or other large pieces of medical equipment.  When you begin researching linear accelerators there are a number of things to take into account including: the facilities budget, the actual cost of the equipment, operating costs and the facilities objectives.

Linear accelerators are an essential piece of equipment for a radiation oncology department to successfully treat clients.  This piece of machinery allows for a complete patient treatment plan to be provided. Although necessary the purchase of such large scaled medical equipment can be complex and expensive.  Purchasing used or refurbished LINAC machines over brand new equipment allows medical facilities a more reasonably priced manner in which to accumulate pieces; thus allowing them to continue bringing unparalleled care to their patients.

Your facilities needs and budget will help to define whether you should be looking into new, used or refurbished linear accelerators.  In smaller medical facilities purchasing used or refurbished equipment may offer you the best of both worlds: superb patient care along with profitability.  Refurbished linear accelerators are also a good option for facilities needing LINAC technology at a reasonable cost such as vet clinics, industrial users, research facilities and other non-medical uses.

There are many benefits to purchasing a refurbished linear accelerator for your facility.  It allows you to offer a service that may not have been previously offered which in turn allows your business to grow.  If your facility already offers radiation services, purchasing a refurbished linear accelerator allows you to service more patients and offer a backup in case one of the systems should fail.  It also allows for machines to be maintained and serviced without affecting the patient’s treatment plan.

Independent suppliers and service companies dedicated to selling and servicing refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners are available to facilitate your purchase from start to finish.  They will assist your team of experts in creating a detailed plan considering physical building and room constraints as well as power and plumbing issues.  With your budget and timeline in mind they will help find refurbished equipment that meets your facilities needs.

From finding a machine from a preferred manufacturer, a machine that will meet or exceed your longevity needs, to obtaining equipment without unnecessary accessories and upgrades, the teams at Acceletronics and Radparts will help you find a refurbished linear accelerator or ct scanner that fits your facilities needs.

Acceletronics delivers the best equipment performance and service reliability from Linear Accelerators and CT Scanners across all major brands and models.  Our qualified oncology equipment specialists provide a quality customer experience across the USA with timely field maintenance.  We sell, repair, refurbish, move and finance oncology medical systems check out more at http://www.acceletronics.com.