Varian Medical Systems receives FDA nod for On-Board Imager

Varian Medical Systems Inc. will add its On-Board Imager accessory for Clinac and Trilogy medical linear accelerators, thanks to FDA 510(k) clearance on the new technology.

The imaging accessory is designed to improve the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatments by giving doctors the ability to target and track tumors more accurately.

Timothy Guertin, president of the company's Oncology Systems business, said the automated system for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) "will enable clinicians to obtain high-resolution x-ray images to pinpoint tumor sites, adjust patient positioning when necessary, and complete a treatment, all within the standard treatment time slot."

Until now, radiation oncologists have had to contend with variations in patient positioning and with respiratory motion by treating a margin of healthy tissue around the tumor.

Varian's On-Board Imager is mounted on the treatment machine via robotically controlled arms, which operate along three axes of motion, so that they can be positioned optimally for the best possible view of the tumor.

On-Board Imager will be available as an option on all newly installed Clinac linear accelerators, and as an upgrade for most installed digital Clinac accelerators. It will be a standard feature on all Trilogy linear accelerators.

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