Important Considerations When Installing a Pre-Owned Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator

The Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator is the premier radiation therapy machine for treating cancer patients. With advanced features like high-dose rate flattening filter-free photon modes, RapidArc radiotherapy, and real-time motion management, the TrueBeam delivers ultra-precise doses of radiation to tumors while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

While many hospitals in the U.S. replace their linear accelerators every 7-10 years, the TrueBeam is a reliable system that can offer considerably more years of performance when resold to a clinic or hospital in more price-sensitive environments like rural cancer centers or developing countries. Not to mention, the TrueBeam is still the current linac model being manufactured by Varian today.

ROS (Radiology Oncology Systems), a leading refurbished radiation oncology equipment provider, offers TrueBeam reconditioning as part of its installation package.

The ROS TrueBeam installation process involves a deep cleaning of many core components and the replacement of common wear items including:

• Flushing the system with glycol during the initial removal to help prevent any water in the system from freezing and causing damage during shipping.
• Thorough lubrication of moving parts including the couch, gantry, the 5 axes of carrousel, and the multi-leaf collimator.
• Replacing worn parts like MLC motors that show signs of potential failure during the installation.
• Completing full calibrations of all mechanical axes and establishing new calibrations for the 15 motorized axes that require initialization to ensure reliable operation after the installation.
• Proactively replacing the two main water hoses that run through the gantry wind-up during the machine assembly and includes replacing any other leaky or worn water hoses during the installation.
• Cleaning the various air filters, replacing the water filter, and cooling water during the installation.
• Backing up the Windows software on all 4 internal computers and verifying that the internal WOX files are backed up daily as per the Varian methodology.

Physical cleaning of the system and the covers to remove scuffs and dust

Occasionally, a customer will want the optional value-added refurbishment services that ROS recommends, including:

• MLC deep clean – Thoroughly cleaning all 120 leaves, lubricating lead screws and carriages, and replacing worn parts as required. This can significantly improve MLC.
• UPS battery replacement – Installation of new batteries in the console Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) and in the stand (if applicable) to reduce the risk of Windows file structure damage during power disruptions.
• Full water hose replacement – Proactively replace all machine hoses for improved leak protection.

The most common parts to fail on a TrueBeam include MLC motors, hand pendants, modulator tubes, and internal cabling that runs through the gantry wind-up. An experienced linear accelerator installation technician can test suspect parts and replace ones that are near end-of-life during refurbishment. This prevents future downtime.

Refurbishment is easier if the engineers have full access to the machine during the early stages of the mechanical installation. Once the mechanical and electrical installation is completed and the fiberglass machine covers are in place, replacing items like water hoses becomes much more difficult and time-consuming.

A typical TrueBeam installation, including the reconditioning process, spans 4-6 weeks although it can often be completed much more quickly if the facility and the vault are 100% prepared to receive their TrueBeam. After delivery and setup, the engineer powers on the system gets all of the various sub-systems to operate normally, calibrates all components, and then demonstrates performance for the medical physicist through the acceptance procedures.

With regular maintenance and proper refurbishment, a TrueBeam can deliver safe, precise, and reliable treatments for many years past its scheduled removal date. For those who purchase pre-owned TrueBeam systems, the refurbishment process should be a key consideration when seeking to maximize performance and avoid surprise downtime.

For those clinics and hospitals replacing their older TrueBeams, it is important to recognize that selling your used equipment vs. scrapping it can help thousands more cancer patients in other less-developed regions of the world.