2023 was a busy year for the IEEE Madison LMAG, located in Wisconsin. The LMAG visited local technology companies as a part of its educational outreach activities:
Illumina Facility
Illumina MiniSeq Benchtop Sequencer
In September 2023, a select group of 16 LMAG Members and a guest were granted an exclusive opportunity to tour the Illumina facility in Madison. This unique tour, sponsored by the Madison Section Life Member Affinity Group and Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society Chapter, provided a rare glimpse into the operations of a leading developer and manufacturer of DNA sequencing equipment and supplies. The visit to Illumina’s Madison facility, where enzymes used for DNA sequencing are produced, was a true highlight of the tour.
John Larson’s informative presentation covered various aspects of DNA, DNA sequencing, and the enzymes used in the DNA sequencing process. Following the presentation, John led a comprehensive tour of various production, support, and laboratory areas of the facility, providing the attendees with a wealth of knowledge and enriching their experience.
Accuray Facility
Madison LMAG Tours Accuray Facility
In October 2023, 15 Madison Section members had the privilege of touring the facilities of Accuray, a globally renowned medical equipment company that designs and builds cutting-edge radiotherapy products for cancer treatment. Following a pizza lunch at the facility with seven people from the host company, two groups had the opportunity to see the innovative products and learn about their advanced functionalities.
Accuray has developed methods to precisely target tumors while minimizing the impact on surrounding healthy tissue. Two products were featured: Radixact and CyberKnife ®:
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Radixact and CyberKnife
Radixact is a cutting-edge TomoTherapy platform. This system, housed in a helical CT scanner with a photon radiation source called a linear accelerator, features a patient couch that moves into the bore. Radiation beams are delivered at precisely the right time, angles, and duration through high-speed tungsten shutters, enabling clinicians to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
- CyberKnife ® delivers stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatments anywhere in the body with true robotic precision and integrated, AI-driven, real-time motion synchronization.
Accuray’s corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Madison, Wisconsin. Other locations include California, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, and China.
