Varian Medical Systems has unveiled its VitalBeam™ system, which is being touted as a new cost-effective technology package for offering high-quality, high-throughput radiation therapy, and for expanding clinical capabilities over time. Unveiled means “not launched” as the system carries neither FDA clearance nor CE mark approval at this time.
Background
Californian company Varian Medical Systems, Inc., claims to be the world’s leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy.
The company says its VitalBeam radiotherapy platform is designed to offer clinics an affordable option for implementing advanced image-guided radiotherapy. It will be available in a basic package with an 80-leaf collimator for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), low-dose megavoltage (MV) imaging using the accelerator beam for image guidance, and respiratory gating for motion management. Clinics will be able to add RapidArc® radiotherapy for faster IMRT, higher dose delivery rates, an on-board kV X-ray system capable of cone-beam CT imaging, and a higher-resolution 120-leaf collimator. All VitalBeam configurations offer up to three photon and six electron energy levels for flexibility in treatment.
VitalBeam incorporates Varian’s next-generation system architecture, originally developed for the TrueBeam platform, which dynamically synchronizes imaging, patient positioning, motion management, beam shaping and dose delivery, performing accuracy checks every ten milliseconds.
Varian introduced the new VitalBeam platform last Saturday, as part of at a special unveiling at the annual ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) meeting taking place in Barcelona through April 28. It will be rolled out in markets across the world as regulatory clearances are obtained.
Company comments
“VitalBeam leverages the best of our technology, incorporating many of the innovations we developed for our popular TrueBeam® radiosurgery system to enhance precision, safety, and speed of treatment,” said Kolleen Kennedy, president of Varian’s Oncology Systems business. “It is a flexible and upgradeable system that affordably meets the clinical needs of our customers today and as they grow in the future.”
“Customers can configure the system the way that they want it,” said Tim Clark, head of European marketing for Varian’s Oncology Systems business. “They can choose to start with one configuration and add capabilities over time, at a pace that suits them. It is distinct from our versatile TrueBeam radiotherapy and radiosurgery platform in that VitalBeam is optimized for advanced radiotherapy while TrueBeam systems were designed to handle both.”
Source: PR Newswire
published: April 27, 2015 in: Launches / Withdrawals, Oncology