Overview of the On-Site Medical Sterilization System as Installed at the Guidant Corporation

Welcome to a photographic review of the L-3 PS On-site system as installed at the Guidant Corporation's Temecula, California manufacturing facility. The Guidant Corporation is a recognized leader in the medical device industry, providing innovative, cost-effective products and services to the global cardiology and minimally invasive surgery marketplaces.

The On-Site System provides customers with the capability to deliver custom product orders in one day, thereby dramatically reducing inventory levels and associated costs. Using dosimetric release procedures, products can be released as sterile for distribution within minutes of completing the short processing cycle.

This is the first system of its kind to incorporate a 10 MeV linear accelerator with a small conformal steel shield making it compact and easily positioned in any manufacturing site or location. The entire system can fit into 750 square feet (70 square meters). The system can also be installed with a concrete shield increasing the overall space requirements by less than 50%.

The diagram above is a plan view of the L-3 PS On-Site System utilizing single sided processing and conformal steel shielding. Note the transportation conveyor as shown in green, the closing conveyor as shown in yellow, and the servo controlled process conveyor in blue. The gray areas represent the steel shielding while the purple area contains the modulator, control cabinets, and utility interfaces. The linear accelerator (beam centerline) is displayed in red.

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The Guidant system shown above is viewed from the preprocessed (non-sterile) side of the Titan Scan On-Site System as installed at the Guidant Corporation facility in Temecula, CA.

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Displayed above is the operator on the loading side. He is shown scanning the product's unique bar code as the product cases are loaded onto the pallets, while the unload operator is removing the dosimeters and the products from the pallets after they have completed their sterilization cycle.

The system operator is using the touch screen to input product pallets into the system. The overhead monitor displays the system and all key operating parameters as well as the product movement throughout the sterilization process.

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The photo above shows the 4 kW, 10 MeV RF linear accelerator as housed in the local steel shielding, next to the modulator and control cabinets along with the air handling equipment.

The image above shows the product as it is conveyed from the scanning area to the unloading station. In normal operation, the door shown would be closed and safety interlocked.

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