IBA launches QUASAR Penta-Guide phantom for radiotherapy QA

IBA Dosimetry's new phantom consolidates more than 25 imaging and machine QA tests into a single setup for radiotherapy clinics.

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IBA Dosimetry, the quality assurance division of Belgium-listed Ion Beam Applications, has launched the QUASAR Penta-Guide Performance Phantom, a device designed to consolidate more than 25 imaging and machine quality assurance tests into a single clinical setup. The product was announced on 27 September 2026, timed to coincide with the ASTRO annual meeting, one of the principal forums for radiation oncology technology.

The phantom targets radiotherapy departments running image-guided and adaptive workflows, areas where QA complexity has grown substantially as treatment precision requirements have increased. By replacing several discrete phantoms and associated software tools with a unified system, IBA says clinics can reduce setup time, cut procedural variability and produce more consistent longitudinal records of system performance.

What the device does

The Penta-Guide supports both 2D and 3D imaging-based tests, including cone-beam CT (CBCT) checks that are central to adaptive radiotherapy workflows. Integrated software handles DICOM data ingestion, automated analysis, report generation and performance trending, reducing the manual analysis burden on medical physicists who typically run these QA programmes.

Jean-Marc Bothy, President of IBA Dosimetry, said the phantom "was developed around the realities of modern clinical workflows," adding that bringing imaging and machine QA into one setup "helps clinical teams work more efficiently while maintaining the consistency and confidence required for image-guided and adaptive radiotherapy."

IBA did not disclose pricing, the number of installed-base customers targeted in the first year, or whether the device has received regulatory clearance in any specific jurisdiction.

Market context

Medical physics QA tooling is a specialist but growing segment, driven by the wider adoption of intensity-modulated radiotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy and, increasingly, online adaptive platforms such as those offered by Elekta, ViewRay and Varian. As these systems become more capable, the volume and complexity of mandatory QA checks rises with them, creating commercial demand for consolidation devices that reduce physicist workload without compromising test coverage.

IBA competes in this space against a small number of specialist QA vendors, including Sun Nuclear (now part of Mirion Technologies) and Standard Imaging, as well as in-house phantom development by larger equipment manufacturers. The company's QUASAR brand is an established name in the segment, and the Penta-Guide extends that portfolio rather than representing a standalone entry.

Regulatory and standards read-across

Radiotherapy QA requirements are shaped by national and international guidance, including recommendations from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As adaptive radiotherapy workflows gain regulatory recognition in both the US and EU, QA tool vendors will need to demonstrate that their systems meet evolving guidance on image quality benchmarks and geometric accuracy tolerances. IBA has not stated which specific AAPM task-group recommendations the Penta-Guide is designed to satisfy, a detail that medical physics procurement teams will want to confirm before purchase.

IBA is headquartered in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, employs approximately 2,300 people worldwide, and is listed on Euronext.

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