Vital Linac

Monitoring of linear accelerators to reduce downtime for crucial medical treatments in developing countries.

About the Technology

Linear accelerators (linacs) are vital tools for cancer radiotherapy treatments. These complex machines can also be unstable, presenting a significant hurdle for cancer treatments in low to middle income countries (LMICs). Fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and power can pause linac operations, leading to downtime that can be deadly in cancer treatments where each missed day decreases the survival rate.

Our cost-effective, user-friendly device continuously monitors environmental conditions and alerts clinic staff when a parameter approaches or exceeds a linac’s safe operating limits. Early warning enables early intervention, reducing linac downtime by an estimated 20%. This could meaningfully address a staggering gap in cancer mortality between countries: the five-year mortality rate in breast cancer, for example, is 20% in high-income countries and 88% in LMICs.

Support from the HIT Fund will allow us to deploy a prototype system for a pilot project in Kenya, establishing proof of concept. With viability established, we’ll explore the best business model for wider production and distribution.

Team Members