Authorised Indian Distributor
Saxsons Group
New Delhi, India · Since 1997
Vacuum-bag immobilisation cushion family for radiotherapy positioning. Polystyrene-bead fill in a medical-grade polyurethane outer; the operator conforms the cushion to the patient at simulation, draws vacuum through a one-touch quick-release valve and the cushion locks into the patient's body shape. Holds setup across the entire fraction series with the same conformal hold every fraction. Five sizes from head-and-neck (S) to whole-body (200 × 80 cm). Reusable across patients with standard wipe-down decontamination. SBRT-grade bead density and MR-compatible non-ferromagnetic variant available. AAPM TG-101 SBRT and TG-178 IMRT immobilisation framework.
| Size variants | S (60 × 50 cm), M (90 × 70 cm), L (120 × 80 cm), XL (160 × 80 cm), Whole-body (200 × 80 cm) |
| Fill material | Polystyrene bead — standard density (routine) or high-density (SBRT-grade) |
| Outer fabric | Medical-grade polyurethane — airtight, wipe-down decontaminable |
| Valve | Quick-release one-touch seal; compatible with hand and electric vacuum pumps |
| MR-compatibility variant | Non-ferromagnetic valve + bead + outer; verified no B0-field perturbation or MR planning-image artefact |
| Allergy-conscious variant | PVC-free / latex-free outer for facilities with patient-allergy protocols |
| Reinforced variant | Abrasion-resistant outer for high-cycle SBRT and research-protocol use |
| Indexing | Indexing strap locks the cushion to the patient-positioning baseplate platform (paired product) |
| Vacuum hold | Airtight design holds vacuum across multi-hour fraction; quick-release valve operates on demand |
| Reuse | Reusable across patients with standard wipe-down decontamination; bead-fill top-up kit extends service life |
| Pump compatibility | Standard hand vacuum pump (manual) and bench-mount electric vacuum unit (high-throughput) |
| Compliance framework | AAPM TG-101 (SBRT), AAPM TG-178 (IMRT immobilisation device methodology), AAPM TG-176 (dosimetric handling) |
| Documentation | Per-batch material certificate, MR-compatibility certificate, decontamination protocol |
Six worked treatment workflows the vacuum-cushion family covers
XL or Whole-body cushion + SBRT-grade bead + indexed baseplate. The cushion conforms to the patient at 4D-CT simulation, locks the patient shape, and reproduces the same shape every fraction. Pair with 4D-CT-derived ITV or breath-hold gating; ITV / CTV margin per AAPM TG-101.
XL cushion + SBRT-grade bead + indexed baseplate. Same workflow as lung but with abdominal target — typically pairs with breath-hold gating to lock liver / kidney respiratory motion. Cushion reproduces breath-hold patient shape across fractions.
S cushion under the head + thermoplastic mask + shoulder-retraction strap. The cushion supports the cervical-spine curvature and pairs with the headrest from the baseplate library; the mask locks the head-neck shell on top.
L cushion conforming to the buttocks and posterior pelvis + knee-foot support + indexed baseplate. Cushion provides the conformal hold under the buttocks; the knee-foot locks the femoral rotation. Setup reproducibility within < 5 mm at the prostate per daily CBCT verification.
Whole-body cushion provides head-to-foot positioning for total-body / total-marrow irradiation. Cushion supports the patient across the extended treatment field; pairs with daily CT-on-rails or extended-SSD calculation per the centre TBI / TMI protocol.
MR-compatible cushion variant + MR-compatible baseplate. The same conformal hold + indexed pitch as the conventional setup but with non-ferromagnetic construction. Setup transfers from MR-sim to MR-linac at the same indexed-pitch reproducibility as CT-sim to conventional linac.
At CT-sim or MR-sim, the operator places the patient on the cushion and shapes the bead-fill to match the patient outline. The bead flows around the body region until the patient is comfortable; the quick-release valve is opened, the vacuum pump draws air out of the cushion, the cushion stiffens and locks. The patient is now in a custom-fit conformal cradle.
The cushion holds the patient shape across the fraction series — the same cradle the patient was simulated in is the same cradle they're treated in every day. Inter-fraction setup reproducibility benefits from this conformal hold: skin marks line up, internal anatomy lines up, CBCT verification confirms within tolerance.
The cushion is wipe-down decontaminable between patients. The valve releases the vacuum, the bead-fill returns to free-flow, the cushion is cleaned and stored. For the next patient, the cushion conforms to the new body shape and locks into the new cradle. Reusability brings the per-patient cushion cost down to a fraction of the per-patient consumable cost.
Variant matrix
Five size variants, three bead-grade tiers and three outer-fabric tiers. The per-treatment-site build sheet matches the size to the body region, the bead grade to the reproducibility need (SBRT vs IMRT), and the outer fabric to the cleanroom-tier and patient-allergy expectations.
Size variants
| Size | Dimensions (typical) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Small (S) | 60 × 50 cm | Head-and-neck IMRT, brain SRS chin support, paediatric setups |
| Medium (M) | 90 × 70 cm | Thorax / breast tangential, upper abdomen, paediatric whole-body |
| Large (L) | 120 × 80 cm | Pelvic IMRT, lower abdomen, prone-board pairing |
| Extra-Large (XL) | 160 × 80 cm | Lung SBRT, abdomen SBRT, whole-trunk adult setups |
| Whole-body | 200 × 80 cm | TBI / TMI, extended-field SBRT, adult head-to-foot positioning |
Accessories Matrix
| Hand vacuum pump (manual) | Operator-controlled rapid vacuum at simulation; portable for between-room use; pairs with the quick-release valve |
| Electric vacuum unit (bench-mount) | High-throughput SBRT or busy CT-sim room; sustained vacuum during the simulation cycle without operator pump effort |
| Quick-release valve (universal) | One-touch seal that locks the bead bag under vacuum; releases instantly between patients for storage |
| Replacement valve kit | Routine maintenance for high-cycle programmes; valve is the highest-wear component on a reusable cushion |
| Indexing strap to baseplate | Locks the cushion onto the indexed baseplate platform; ensures inter-fraction reproducibility between baseplate-cushion-patient setup |
| Carry handles + storage bag | Between-fraction storage and inter-room transport; cushion stays clean and intact across the fraction series |
| Patient comfort liner (single-use) | Disposable hypoallergenic liner between cushion and patient — improves comfort without compromising the conformal lock |
| Bead-fill top-up kit | Replenishes lost bead from repeated use; extends cushion service life by 50–100 % typically |
Per-batch material certificate and (where applicable) MR-compatibility certificate ship with every consignment. Pump selection (hand vs electric) and indexing strap are specified to the receiving baseplate platform during site IQ / OQ.
AAPM references that anchor vacuum-cushion immobilisation in SBRT and IMRT workflows. Contact Saxsons for size + variant + accessory configuration.
AAPM task-group report on SBRT delivery including immobilisation expectations for body-region treatments.
AAPM task-group report on body-immobilisation device characterisation and clinical-use methodology.
AAPM task-group report on dosimetric handling of immobilisation devices including vacuum-cushion attenuation characterisation.
Vacuum Cushions
Each card opens a focused post for a specific specialty — peer-reviewed evidence and clinical workflow, written for the persona you select.
Contact Saxsons Group for size + bead-density variant + pump selection, MR-compatibility variant ordering, baseplate-pairing build sheet and IQ / OQ / PQ documentation.