Varian on board at ASTRO to unveil two new radiation treatment products

New products and enhancements were announced by Varian Medical Systems at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic and Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Salt Lake City, Utah, this week.

 Varian introduced Inspiration, the company's next-generation integrated radiation oncology management environment designed to simplify and facilitate delivery of advanced radiation therapy in cancer treatment.

 The Inspiration links a number of elements for the radiation therapy environment, including information management, scheduling, charting, imaging, treatment planning and treatment delivery.

 Varian also introduced Trilogy, an image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system optimized for both conventional and stereotactic approaches to treating cancer. Awaiting 510(k) FDA clearance, the system can be used to deliver 3D conformal radiotherapy, IMRT, stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy, and intensity-modulated radiosurgery for cancer neurosurgical treatments.

 A redesigned version of the company's VARiS Vision radiation oncology management software also was announced at ASTRO. The software presently streamlines and accelerates the complex clinical processes involved in treating cancer with radiation therapy.

 Designed to help clinicians implement the latest advances in radiation therapy, from IMRT to IGRT, the new VARiS Vision will simplify the steps involved in delivering a multi-week course of radiation therapy, including treatment planning, simulation, scheduling, patient positioning, treatment delivery, verification and quality assurance.

 Varian also revealed its plans to add 3D imaging capabilities to its Acuity x-ray system for IGRT. The new cone-beam CT capability of the Acuity system is pending 510(k) FDA clearance. It will enable radiation oncologists to enhance care for cancer patients by generating digital images for patient positioning as well as developing, simulating and verifying treatment plans.

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