Elekta wins linear accelerator order in Denmark

Radiation oncology firm Elekta has sold two Versa HD radiation therapy treatment systems to Odense University Hospital in Denmark. The hospital purchased the systems as replacements for two linear accelerators.

The Versa HD linear accelerator, which features ultraconformal beam shaping and tumor targeting, became commercially available on March 1. It is designed to deliver conventional treatments for a wide range of tumors throughout the body, as well as specialized treatments that require extreme targeting precision, according to the company.

Capable of delivering radiation doses three times faster than previous-generation Elekta linear accelerators, Versa HD harnesses the ultrafast leaf speeds of Agility MLC. The Agility MLC (multileaf collimator) has 160 high-speed leaves for conforming closely to tumor margins and a flattening filter-free beam generation for high dose rate mode. A stereotactic radiation therapy treatment that might take 12 minutes using a previous-generation linear accelerator may take five minutes.

Odense University Hospital expects to start using the systems in May.