The Average Lifespan of Elekta Linear Accelerator Parts | Radiology Oncology Systems 11/8/22, 11:06 AM

January 8, 2020 | by Tommy Hughes | Linear Accelerators, Radiation Oncology Equipment |

The Average Lifespan of Elekta Linear

Accelerator Parts | Radiology
Oncology Systems

The Average Lifespan of Elekta Linear Accelerator

Parts
In recent years, manufacturers of linear accelerators have been making their
equipment service/maintenance business a major profit center. As a
percentage of company sales, service contract revenues have grown year
after year for the major linear accelerator manufacturers.  While this makes
investors in these companies very happy, the impact on the owners of the

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The Average Lifespan of Elekta Linear Accelerator Parts | Radiology Oncology Systems 11/8/22, 11:06 AM

equipment is quite different.

As the costs of OEM maintenance contracts have increased, many hospitals

and clinics are now exploring other options to maintain and repair of their
linear accelerators.  This article is to assist those centers seeking to do their
own maintenance, hence lowering their costs of ownership.  The big
unknown is the cost of the parts. Having a sense of which parts may fail over
time, can help the service engineers with better planning.

In the chart below, we have provided the average lifespan of various parts,
based on feedback provided by facilities with differing levels of patient
loads.

Moderate use
High use system Low use  system
Part system
 (35+ patients/day) (15 patients/day)
 (<30 patients/day)
Magnetron 2 yrs 5–6 yrs 5-6 yrs
X-ray tube 18 months 3 yrs 4+ yrs
XVI detector 5 yrs 7 yrs 10+ yrs
iView detector 2 yrs 4 yrs 4 yrs
Electron gun 1 yr N/A N/A
Thyratron tube 3 yrs 5 yrs 5+ yrs
Ion chamber 3–4 yrs 3–4 yrs N/A
Reflectors 2–3 yrs 2–3 yrs N/A
2–3 yrs (old type); 2–3 yrs (old type);
MLC camera N/A
much longer now much longer now

The magnetron has significantly different expectations for lifespan

depending on the model year of your Elekta linear accelerator. Many newer
machines do not use a feedback system (generally those operating at or
below 18 MV, like the Elekta Compact) and thus may need the magnetron

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The Average Lifespan of Elekta Linear Accelerator Parts | Radiology Oncology Systems 11/8/22, 11:06 AM

replaced within 3-4 years. Older machines and those operating above 18 MV
typically have a feedback system with a magnetron that can last up to 10
years.

The electron gun on a high-use linear accelerator

can be replaced after a year, but can last over six
years on a very low-use linac.

The thyatron tube, which delivers the pulses to the

electron gun, has a consistent lifespan regardless of
usage; feedback indicates a baseline expectation of
three years, with five years as a reasonable upper
bound.

Elekta linear accelerators’ ion chamber is a part that can be especially

affected by local climate. High humidity can shorten its lifespan by two-
thirds, with an average ion chamber needing replaced within four years and
one in a high humidity location possibly as soon as one year from first use.

We’ve talked previously about the costs of replacing SL75 Ion Chamber Resized
X-ray tubes in CT Simulators, but some of the same
points apply here. Patient load widely affects the
lifespan of the X-ray tube: at lower usage levels, your
tube may last several years before needing replaced
(one facility has used the same tube for over six
years), but a higher daily patient load drops the
number significantly.

Newer models in the Elekta linear accelerator line include the Versa and the
Infinity/Axesse. Particularly with the VersaHD (in production since 2013),
some of the upper bounds on part lifespan are yet to be determined.
However, looking at some of the lifespan figures on earlier models can help
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The Average Lifespan of Elekta Linear Accelerator Parts | Radiology Oncology Systems 11/8/22, 11:06 AM

frame expectations. High usage rates will always affect parts like the X-ray
tube and the electron gun, but the MLC camera has a consistent lifespan.

Hopefully we were able to provide some insight when trying to determine the
most appropriate service agreement for your Elekta linear accelerator. As
usual, many factors can affect the lifespan of the parts, including but not
limited to climate and humidity levels, patient load, and dose rates. For more
information on Elekta linacs, parts, service agreements, or anything else
related to radiation oncology, please contact info@OncologySystems.com.

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