Heidelberg University Hospital treats first patient using carbon ion therapy with RayStation
Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany, has started using the RayStation®* treatment planning system for carbon ion therapy treatments. The center is now using RayStation for both particle therapy and photon therapy.
In April 2018, RayStation was selected as the treatment planning system for Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT), which is the leading German facility for proton and carbon ion therapy and part of the Heidelberg University Hospital. An additional RayStation order for photon therapy was placed later that year, and RaySearch and Heidelberg University Hospital also entered into a long-term collaborative agreement regarding the clinical introduction of the RayCare®* oncology information system.
HIT has long expertise in advanced radiation therapy techniques and has been performing proton therapy and carbon ion therapy for the past 10 years. The center is now replacing its existing treatment planning system for protons and carbon ions and aims to use RayStation exclusively. Heidelberg University Hospital also treats patients using TomoTherapy, which is the focus of another cooperation between HIT and RaySearch. In addition, the center aims to begin treating patients using helium ion therapy by 2020. RayStation enables treatment planning for all of these modalities with a single software platform.
The HIT facility is an in-house medical product integrating a particle accelerator, a rotating ion gantry and an IONTRIS delivery system from Siemens Healthcare. The setup includes three treatment rooms, two horizontal treatment rooms and one gantry for both carbon ion and proton therapy. The gantry is the world’s first for carbon ion therapy. The facility has the capacity to treat up to 1000 patients per year using particle therapy.
Jürgen Debus, Professor and Chairman, radiation oncology at Heidelberg University Hospital, says: “Carbon ion treatment planning in RayStation offers us unique options to optimize our treatment plans along with proton and photon precision radiotherapy.”
Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch, says: “We are proud to see Heidelberg’s first carbon ion treatment using RayStation, and it is gratifying that all European centers have now chosen RayStation for carbon ion therapy. We continue to pioneer support for the most advanced techniques, which offer outstanding benefits for patients.”
About Heidelberg University Hospital
Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany; its first medical lectures were held here in 1388. Today, it is one of the largest and most prestigious medical centers in Europe, with a reputation based on excellent patient care, research and teaching. Heidelberg University Hospital offers inpatients and outpatients an innovative and effective diagnosis and therapy for all complex diseases. In modern buildings with state-of-the-art equipment specialized teams of physicians, technicians, engineers and physicists deliver medical care to the highest international standards. The proximity and interlinking of the specialist departments benefit the patient, with interdisciplinary cooperation ensuring optimal treatment.
About RaySearch
RaySearch is a medical technology company that develops innovative software solutions to improve cancer care. The company markets the RayStation treatment planning system and RayCare, the next-generation oncology information system, worldwide. Over 2,600 clinics in more than 65 countries use RaySearch software to improve life and outcomes for patients. The company was founded in 2000 and the share has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2003.
About RayCare
RayCare is designed to support the complex logistical challenges of modern oncology clinics. It represents the future of oncology information system technology, supporting the vision of one oncology workflow. Many cancer patients receive a combination of treatment types, and RayCare is designed to reflect that. It will efficiently coordinate activities in radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery and will offer advanced features for clinical resource optimization, workflow automation and adaptive radiation therapy. RayCare is being developed with tomorrow’s requirements for advanced analytics and decision support in mind.
About RayStation
RayStation is a flexible, innovative treatment planning system, chosen by many of the leading cancer centers worldwide. It combines unique features such as unmatched adaptive therapy capabilities, multi-criteria optimization, market-leading algorithms for IMRT and VMAT optimization with highly accurate dose engines for photon, electron, proton and carbon ion therapy. RayStation supports a wide range of treatment machines, providing one control center for all treatment planning needs and ensuring centers get greater value from existing equipment. RayStation also seamlessly integrates with RayCare, the next-generation oncology information system. By harmonizing the treatment planning, we enable better care for cancer patients worldwide.
More information about RaySearch is available at www.raysearchlabs.com
More information about the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center is available at www-hit-centrum.de
* Subject to regulatory clearance in some markets.
For further information, please contact:
Johan Löf, Founder and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: +46 (0)8-510 530 00
Peter Thysell, CFO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: +46 (0)70 661 05 59
peter.thysell@raysearchlabs.com
