Radiation Delivery System Upgraded

TomoTherapy Inc, Madison, Wisconsin, has introduced the TomoDirect discrete-angle delivery mode for its TomoTherapy Hi·Art treatment system. This new technology allows Hi·Art system users to plan and deliver advanced radiation treatments quickly, with a series of linear beam paths rather than the existing helical path. With TomoDirect, clinicians can choose several discrete angles, and the optimal modulation level required for delivery will be based on specific goals of patient therapy. TomoTherapy officially unveiled TomoDirect at the annual meetings of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Gothenburg, Sweden, September 14-18, and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Boston, Massachusetts, September 21-25. The product will be made available to radiation clinics across the United States in 2009.

TomoDirect was developed to complement helical TomoTherapy; both products use the same binary multileaf collimator and computed tomography- style gantry technology. Which modality is best for a given patient will depend on the nature of the tumor volume and the surrounding organs at risk. In several clinical scenarios, such as whole breast irradiation and palliative treatments, TomoDirect is expected to save a significant amount of time in the planning and delivery phases.

Fred Robertson, CEO, TomoTherapy, commented, “We are excited about TomoDirect because it will greatly increase the overall flexibility and efficiency of the Hi·Art treatment system. Along with helical TomoTherapy delivery, TomoDirect will enhance our customers’ revenue-generating opportunities, and strengthen their ability to deliver the highest quality radiation therapy to the broadest patient population.”

According to TomoTherapy co-founder Thomas “Rock” Mackie, PhD, Hi·Art system integration facilitates a simple, consistent treatment planning and delivery process across both modes of delivery. “TomoDirect will use all the power of the platform that makes helical TomoTherapy the gold standard in radiation therapy,” said Dr. Mackie, “and the difference is that we expect treatment planning times will be dramatically reduced due to the much smaller number of beam directions used. Furthermore, for certain geometries, the ability to use only the most beneficial angles will cut delivery times significantly. With TomoDirect, routine cases can now be planned in under 10 minutes. And, importantly, users can deliver from up to 12 discrete angles, with a single turn of the key.”

In addition to the added capabilities offered by TomoDirect, the Hi·Art system’s treatment modes are being expanded, to include a 3-dimensional conformal option, thereby meeting the full range of options needed for all clinical cases.