Have you ever gone through, or known someone who has gone through radiation therapy.  It is one of the most trying events an individual can go through, and I hope you never have to experience it.  And with that in mind I’m always watching out for companies that are making advancements in this field.  This past week Calypso Medical Technologies released a new product that could dramatically ease the pain of radiation treatment.

Known as GPS for the Body technology, the Calypso System utilizes implanted Beacon transponders to setup and continuously track the position of targeted tissue during radiation treatment. When the tumor site moves outside of acceptable limits, the clinician can immediately adapt therapy to ensure treatment is delivered as prescribed to the cancerous tissue while avoiding adjacent healthy organs.

The Adaptive Workflow Efficiency release is compatible with 3D conformal radiation therapy, conventional intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy. A suite of online and offline motion management solutions allows clinicians to optimize treatment while maintaining fast and efficient patient throughput. Online motion management solutions include Data Input, enabling electronic data transfer from treatment planning to the Calypso System and the new Adaptive Couch Repositioning™ option, enabling motion management from outside the treatment room, dramatically improving efficiency and expediting treatment time. Offline motion management solutions include Beam On and new Trend Reports, providing easy-to-interpret motion trend reports allowing a quick assessment of tumor motion over multiple fractions. Tracking data provides input to the clinicians to optimize a patient’s treatment based on their individual motion profile.

“Calypso Medical is committed to continuously advancing radiation treatment options. The Calypso Medical GPS for the Body technology combined with Varian Medical Systems’ 4DITC, allows clinicians to manage tumor motion adaptively, throughout the delivery of the radiation treatment to improve overall workflow and clinical results,” said Christopher Haig, vice-president of marketing and business development at Calypso Medical.

Efficient workflow is at the heart of the Calypso System design. The Calypso System is compatible and complementary with conventional linear accelerators, including Varian’s RapidArc radiotherapy technology. With the advent of real-time target tracking from the Calypso System, physicians have increased clinical confidence knowing the target and radiation beam are aligned throughout treatment delivery.

Karla Knott, senior director of marketing for Varian Medical Systems notes, “The Adaptive Workflow Efficiency product highlights new connectivity between Calypso Medical and Varian. We are committed to standardized connectivity allowing support of unique operational advantages for the radiation therapy clinicians with industry innovators, like Calypso Medical.”