Dedicated self-shielded Linac-based intracranial radiosurgery device: The ZAP-X

Utilizing a 3.0 MV S-band linear accelerator (Linac), the ZAP-X (ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc., San Carlos, CA) is a next generation dedicated brain, head and neck radiosurgery (SRS) device that obviates the need for ⁶⁰Co sources. The underlying robotic platform provides the hardware for delivering increasingly advanced software, the goal of which is ever more precise, conformal and faster radiosurgery, today and in the future. Moreover, in most countries the radiation-shielding that is integrated into the gyroscopic mechanical structure of the ZAP-X precludes the need for a radiation bunker, thereby saving considerable time and cost during the process of site preparation. Although primarily designed for delivering SRS to standard benign and malignant intracranial and cervical lesions, the intrinsic steep dose gradient of the ZAP-X makes it especially well suited for treating functional brain disorders with SRS. This article characterizes the ZAP-X from a physics and a general applications perspective.