The outpatient system aims to boost precision, reduce risk, and improve access.
Kaohsiung Show Chwan Memorial Hospital (KSCH) in Taiwan is set to launch a radiosurgery system that treats difficult brain conditions using advanced, noninvasive technology.
The ZAP-X system, developed by US-based ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc. and will debut in Taiwan later this year, delivers precise radiation treatment for small brain tumours and nerve conditions like trigeminal neuralgia, which causes severe facial pain.
The gyroscopic machine’s motion-tracking and angled beams help reduce exposure to surrounding healthy tissues that is crucial in preserving brain function, Tzu-Yuan Chao, director of KSCH’s Radiation Oncology Department, told Healthcare Asia.
“Most treatments are outpatient procedures that can be completed in a single session,” he said via Zoom.
Construction of the machine is set to begin and the hospital has found a good location for it, said Liang-Miin Tsai, chief superintendent for the Southern Taiwan hospital branches of the Show Chwan Health Care System. It’s expected to be finished by the last quarter.
“Structural safety and regulatory requirements have been carefully considered,” he said in the same Zoom interview.
Cancer remained the leading cause of death in Taiwan last year, with more than 54,000 people dying from the illness, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The ZAP-X unit, which DOTmed.com, Inc. said cost $1.8 million when it was launched in 2019, does not require a traditional radiation therapy bunker.
“We’ve chosen a highly visible location for the machine—patients and visitors can see it, while those undergoing treatment remain completely safe and protected,” Tsai added.
Unlike older radiation systems that rely on decaying radioactive materials such as Cobalt-60, ZAP-X uses a modern linear accelerator.
“Treatments through Cobalt-60-based systems that initially take 30 minutes can take up to an hour by their fifth year of use,” John Adler, CEO at ZAP Surgical Systems, said in an emailed reply to questions. “In contrast, ZAP-X can maintain its 30-minute treatment time after several years.”
“This approach makes the technology more cost-effective and compatible with current medical practices,” Tsai said.
To prepare for the launch, KSCH staff were trained at the Utsunomiya Neurospine Centre and Kamiyacho Neurosurgical Clinic in Tokyo. “ZAP-X also provided a training programme for our clinical staff to teach them the machine’s workflow, procedures, and treatment planning system,” Chao said.
In tandem with the installation, KSCH is running an awareness campaign targeting referring physicians, academic institutions, and medical societies.
The hospital is also strengthening its brain cancer programme by offering a mix of treatment options.
“We combine radiosurgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy,” Han-Lin Yen, deputy superintendent at KSCH, said via Zoom. They are also studying next-generation gene sequencing, he added.
“For example, we are studying genetic mutation patterns with glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain cancer, to gain deeper insight into its genetic landscape,” he added.
