PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) has received FDA 510(k) clearance for patient position monitoring capabilities that have been added to the company's RPM™ respiratory gating system, which is used to synchronize imaging and radiation therapy treatment with a patient's respiratory cycle. The new feature in Varian's RPM system detects any motion that compromises the accuracy of the treatment.
The RPM system works by placing a reflective marker box on the patient's chest or abdomen and monitoring its motion using special cameras positioned in the treatment room. The previous system monitored the motion of the marker block only in the vertical dimension, to correlate it with the rhythmically repeating tumor motion that occurs as the patient breathes, and to trigger the treatment beam on and off as the tumor moves in and out of range. The new version of the RPM system analyzes the marker block motion in all three dimensions as it moves up and down, forward and back, and side to side. A new display on the system's console immediately alerts the radiation therapist if the patient moves and should be repositioned.
"The system actually learns, for each patient, how the marker block is going to move when that particular patient stays still and breathes normally," said Mika Miettinen, product manager for the RPM system. "If the patient shifts on the treatment couch in any direction beyond the natural range of motion, the system alerts the clinician to halt the treatment and reposition the patient."
"To achieve better results when treating diseases such as lung cancer, clinicians must be able to monitor the motion of the targeted tumor and to account for that motion during treatment," added Richard Stark, Varian's vice-president for worldwide marketing. "By combining X-ray imaging during treatment with optical imaging that tracks tumor motion, clinicians effectively 'freeze' the motion, exposing less healthy tissue to the treatment beam."
"Immobilization--especially for moving tumors in the thorax--is never perfect. Patients are not locked down; they have some freedom to move," Miettinen added. "With this new version of the RPM gating system, if a patient moves, the therapist will know it."
ABOUT VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and radiosurgery. The company is also a premier supplier of X-ray tubes and digital image detectors for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. The company's high-energy imaging systems are also used for screening cargo. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 3,600 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 56 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com/ .
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this press release regarding future business, events, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and other similar matters, including, but not limited to, statements using the terms "to achieve better results," "be able to," and "will know" constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward- looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, the risks described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward- looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements because of new information, future events, or otherwise.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Sias, (650) 424-5782 spencer.sias@varian.com Meryl Ginsberg, (650) 424-6444 meryl.ginsberg@varian.com
SOURCE: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: Spencer Sias, +1-650-424-5782, or spencer.sias@varian.com, or
Meryl Ginsberg, +1-650-424-6444, or meryl.ginsberg@varian.com, both of Varian
Medical Systems, Inc.
Web site: http://www.varian.com/