Elekta Unity, Elekta’s transformative radiation therapy delivery system, receives Good Design Award 2018
Award showcases Elekta's and DCA's ability to innovate new, precision technology that directly addresses the needs of cancer patients and physicians
CHICAGO, January 9, 2019 – Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) and DCA Design International Ltd have won the Good Design® Award 2018 for Elekta Unity, a high-field magnetic resonance radiation therapy (MR/RT) system that enables clinicians to see what they treat, while they treat it. Elekta Unity combines two technologies — a high-field MRI scanner and a linear accelerator that delivers radiation therapy. The MRI scanner enables clear visualization of the tumor and surrounding healthy tissue and provides clinicians with the ability to reshape the radiation dose based on daily anatomical changes in the patient. It also allows continuous real-time monitoring of the tumor during treatment. Real-time treatment adaptation on Elekta Unity based on daily changes to the tumor’s position, size or shape allows accurate targeting and delivery of radiation in a manner that enables personalized, precision radiation therapy.
This U.S.-based award is the world’s most prestigious, recognized, and oldest Design Awards program, organized annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies.
"Elekta Unity was designed to address the needs of the patient and cancer care team delivering treatment. The design was inspired by meaningful conversations with patients and healthcare professionals aimed at identifying ways to improve patient and physician experiences related to the delivery of radiation therapy," said David Gilmore, Director of User Experience at Elekta. "The insight gathered through observing over 360 clinical treatment sessions on linear accelerators, across seven treatment centers, along with more than 50 in-depth interviews, guided the design choices for this transformative and personalized cancer treatment technology."
Not only did the design of Elekta Unity need to overcome the technical challenges of integrating a high-field MR-scanner with a linac without compromising the function of either system, it also had to achieve this objective while maintaining Elekta’s high standards for safety, patient comfort, and ease of clinical use. Realizing these key objectives required looking at Elekta Unity not as a radiation device but as a holistic treatment system that addresses the advanced needs of the user while also providing the patient with a sophisticated visual design and reassuring treatment experience.
"We are honored that the patient- and user-centered design that we contributed to Elekta Unity has been recognized as a critical component of this innovative and precision technology," Rob Woolston, Managing Director at DCA, added. "This award, combined with the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Stanley H. Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award 2018 and the iF Award, which were received for outstanding and innovative practice in product design, and leading visual design, respectively, demonstrates the level of expertise that helped bring Elekta Unity to fruition. We are thrilled to have been an integral part of this project and are excited to see physicians across the globe using Elekta Unity in the clinic to improve cancer patients’ radiation therapy treatment experience and outcomes.”
Good Design is a global, 21st-Century, industry standard awarding the latest, most advanced products and designs for their innovation and invention from well-established manufacturers and corporations to the latest emerging start-up companies.
To learn more, visit elekta.com/Unity.
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For further information, please contact:
Oskar Bosson, Global EVP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
Tel: +46 70 410 7180, e-mail: Oskar.Bosson@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Raven Canzeri, Global Public Relations Manager
Tel: +1 770 670 2524, e-mail: raven.canzeri@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time
About Elekta
For almost five decades, Elekta has been a leader in precision radiation medicine. Our nearly 4,000 employees worldwide are committed to ensuring everyone in the world with cancer has access to – and benefits from – more precise, personalized radiotherapy treatments. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Elekta is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm Exchange. Visit elekta.com or follow @Elekta on Twitter.
About DCA Design international Ltd
Founded in 1960 DCA is one of the world’s leading product design and development consultancies. DCA operates across four market sectors: ‘Medical and Scientific’, ‘Consumer’, ‘Commercial and Industrial’, and ‘Transport’, providing a multidisciplinary design and development service focused on helping our clients achieve success through great product design. www.dca-design.com
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