The Mobetron

Intraop Medical Corporation, the maker of the Mobetron–the world’s first mobile, self-shielded, intraoperative electron linear accelerator–has announced the first installation of the device in Germany.
Company’s description of its technology:

Intraoperative radiation therapy is widely considered to have great potential for cancer treatment. However, until the advent of the Mobetron, the complex logistics involved with delivering IORT severely restricted its use. Before the Mobetron, most IORT patients were transferred from the operating room, while under anesthesia and with an open wound, to the radiation therapy department to receive their IORT treatment. After the treatment, they were returned to the operating room for the completion of the surgery. This method is inefficient for both the surgery and radiation departments. It also increases the time of the procedure and the time the patient must be under anesthesia, and it has a higher risk for infection since the patient is transported out of a sterile environment for the IORT treatment.
The Mobetron will change the way cancer patients are treated throughout the world. The Mobetron system is designed to make intraoperative radiotherapy significantly less time-consuming, less costly and less risky. Because it is relatively small and light-weight, the Mobetron can be used in several operating rooms or even shared between hospitals. Thus IORT is not only less complex and safer with the Mobetron, but more cost-effective as well…
The Mobetron achieves its weight reduction by using proprietary 9000 megahertz (MHz) X-band technology to generate electron beams. Conventional accelerator technology uses lower frequency 3000 MHz S-band technology which requires larger and heavier accelerator components. The Mobetron’s maximum electron energy is only 12 Million Electron Volts (12 MeV), which is sufficient penetration to effectively treat more than 90% of current IORT patients. Mobetron technology is based on a miniature electron accelerator proven in industrial applications for more than ten years.
No room shielding is required with the Mobetron because its patented energy-control system eliminates the need for the bending magnets used in conventional accelerator technology. Bending magnets generates significant stray radiation–requiring substantial shielding to be added to the room. The Mobetron design uses light-weight components so that the accelerator can be mounted to an adjustable C-arm system. A beamstopper is mounted opposite to the accelerator to intercept radiation produced in the forward direction. The design of the accelerator and treatment applicators, in combination with the lead beamstopper below the surgical table, allow the Mobetron to operate without additional shielding in the operating room.

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