Characterization of a Novel 3 Megavolt Linear Accelerator for Dedicated Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

The purpose of this article is to investigate and characterize from a physics perspective the Zap-X (ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc., San Carlos, CA), a new, dedicated self-contained and self-shielded radiosurgery system, focusing on beam energy and performance, leakage, radiation safety, dose delivery accuracy, regulations, quality assurance, and treatment planning. This investigation is required to establish the mechanical and overall performance specifications of the system and to establish baseline parameters for future clinical usage.

Treatment Planning for Self-Shielded Radiosurgery.

A five degree of freedom, robotic, radiosurgical system dedicated to the brain is currently under development. In the proposed design, the machine is entirely self-shielded. The main advantage of a self-shielded system is the simplification of the system's installation, which can reduce the cost of radiosurgery.