WFR-Aquaplast and Qfix Systems is a world leader in radiotherapy patient positioning and immobilization. Our thermoplastic, Aquaplast RT™ is the most recognized brand of radiotherapy patient immobilization thermoplastic in the US, and possibly the world. Invented in 1975, Aquaplast RT™ was the first low temperature thermoplastic to be used in the radiotherapy community. Aquaplast RT™ is used to create a rigid mask, or shell, that positions and immobilizes a patient during a radiotherapy procedure.
In early 2001, WFR/Aquaplast formed an alliance with a nearby carbon fiber engineering and design firm. At that time this firm had a great deal of experience in producing radiotranslucent products for the diagnostic imaging industry, such as carbon fiber surgery tables, but had little experience in producing radiotherapy treatment devices. WFR/Aquaplast had a good understanding of what the radiation therapy community required for patient immobilization, but had no way of bringing these ideas to fruition, as they had previously relied on distributors to manufacture immobilization devices. This alliance evolved into Qfix Systems LLC. Our most popular product produced under this joint venture is the AccuFix™ Cantilever Board™ for IMRT treatment. This patent pending device, first introduced at the 2002 AAPM meeting, is revolutionary in that it seamlessly integrates shoulder depression into a head and neck immobilization device. Before this board was available, therapists would depress the patient's shoulders with ropes or straps or use large pieces of thermoplastic to attempt to immobilize the shoulders. This integration of shoulder depression into a head board has quickly become the gold standard in IMRT head and neck immobilization, and has since been copied by other players in the industry. The AccuFix Cantilever Board is now used every day in hundreds of cancer centers all over the world including 4 of the top 10 US News' "Best" Cancer Hospitals.
Through an agreement with Varian Medical Systems, Qfix Systems also manufactures replacement treatment couch tops and CT overlays, utilizing Varian’s Exact Indexed Immobilization™ technology. When comparing our CT overlays to other commercially available models, you will find ours to be lower profile and more homogeneous. Our low profile design effectively increases the size of the CT bore, as it allows a larger patient to be imaged, or it allows a breast board to be used at a higher angle, while the increased homogeneity increases the scan quality by reducing artifacts.
More information about WFR/Aquaplast Corp. can be found on the following pages or at www.WFR-Aquaplast.com. WFR/Aquaplast Corporation is the exclusive US distributor of the Qfix line of radiotherapy patient immobilization products. Inquiries about foreign distributorships should be sent to Sales@Qfix.com
