# Electronic brachytherapy (Xoft Axxent, Esteya)

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/electronic-brachytherapy-systems/  
OnCo record `electronic-brachytherapy-systems` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A miniature X-ray tube, switched on and off electrically, that does the job of a radioactive seed: it is placed in or on the tumour and gives a short-range dose, with no radioactive source to store or replace.

## Summary

Electronic brachytherapy replaces the iridium-192 source of an afterloader with a 50 kV miniature X-ray tube. Xoft's Axxent system was cleared on 22 December 2005 (K050843), followed by applicators for the vagina, skin surface, breast balloon and cervix, and later models under iCAD (K122951, 2013; K153570, 2016); Elekta now markets it as the Xoft Axxent eBx System with a "50 kV miniaturized X-ray source". Elekta's Esteya, a dedicated skin unit, was cleared in 2013 (K132092) and again in 2022 (K213942); it does not appear on Elekta's current skin page, so whether it is still sold is not confirmed. Sensus Healthcare's IORT system (K182641, 2019) uses the same principle in the operating theatre.

The advantages are practical: no radioactive source, less shielding, and a unit that can move between rooms. Against iridium the dose falls off faster with depth, which suits skin and cavity surfaces and limits deeper targets, and the published evidence is mostly single-centre series rather than randomised comparison.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: eBx; Electronic brachytherapy; Xoft; Axxent; Esteya
- Tags: machines-wave3
- Principle: A miniature X-ray tube at about 50 kV, placed in an applicator inside a cavity or on the skin, delivers a brachytherapy-like dose that falls off steeply with distance and stops when the tube is switched off.
- Since: 2005
- Strengths: No radioactive source to store, replace or secure; Minimal room shielding; Portable between clinic, theatre and ward
- Limitations: Shallow penetration limits target depth; Mostly single-centre evidence; Model availability has changed with owners

## Sources

- FDA 510(k) K050843: Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System (22 December 2005): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K050843
- FDA 510(k) K153570: Xoft Axxent Model 110 XP 1200 (25 February 2016): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K153570
- FDA 510(k) K132092: Esteya (26 September 2013): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K132092
- FDA 510(k) K213942: Esteya (11 January 2022): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K213942
- FDA 510(k) K182641: Sensus IORT System (21 February 2019): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K182641
- Elekta: Xoft Axxent electronic brachytherapy: https://www.elekta.com/products/brachytherapy/xoft/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Basal cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/basal-cell-carcinoma/), [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/cutaneous-scc/), [Endometrial cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/endometrial/)
- fronts: [Devices & Physical Therapies](https://onco.cc/fronts/devices/), [Radiation Therapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/radiation/)
- technologies: [Brachytherapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/brachytherapy/), [Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT)](https://onco.cc/technologies/intraoperative-radiotherapy/), [Intraoperative radiotherapy machines (INTRABEAM, Mobetron, LIAC, NOVAC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/iort-systems/), [Remote afterloaders for HDR brachytherapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/brachytherapy-afterloaders/), [Superficial and orthovoltage radiotherapy for skin cancer](https://onco.cc/technologies/superficial-radiotherapy/)
- companies: [Elekta](https://onco.cc/companies/elekta/), [iCAD (RadNet)](https://onco.cc/companies/icad/), [Sensus Healthcare](https://onco.cc/companies/sensus-healthcare/)
- roadmaps: [Brachytherapy, intraoperative and skin radiotherapy machines: afterloaders, theatre linacs and office X-ray units](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/brachytherapy-iort-machines-roadmap/)

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