Ten years since first order of RayStation treatment planning system
This summer marks the ten-year anniversary since the first order of the treatment planning system RayStation. The first customer was the proton center Westdeutsches Protonentherapie-zentrum Essen (WPE) in Germany. Ten years later, RayStation is established at 580 clinics all over the world, of which 55 are particle therapy centers.
RaySearch has been developing world-class software since 2000, at first selling advanced calculation modules to other vendors. After a few years in practice, RaySearch decided to develop its own treatment planning system, named RayStation. In June 2009, it was sold for the first time to WPE.
WPE is a German proton therapy clinic that requested the most advanced solution with the most modern tools and algorithms for dose calculation and optimization that would fully leverage the potential of proton therapy. Since this first order, RayStation has become the market leader in treatment planning for particle therapy globally. As of today, RayStation is selected by 55 particle centers as their treatment planning system. There are approximately 70 existing particle centers world-wide, and around 30 more is under construction.
It has always been important for RaySearch that RayStation remains independent and comprehensive, being compatible with machines and systems from all possible vendors. To keep up with innovation in the industry and to fulfill customer’s needs, new versions of RayStation is being released twice per year*. The latest version, RayStation 9A*, was released earlier this summer.
During the last ten years, RayStation has developed rapidly using a combination of the highest standards of quality and speed, together with a user-friendly interface. Its features are renowned and celebrated throughout the industry, due to the combination of innovation and vendor independence. A few examples are the state-of-the-art modules for adaptive therapy that was developed together with Princess Margaret Cancer Center (PMCC) in Canada, as well as the multi-criteria optimization that was developed in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in USA. In December 2018, RayStation became the first treatment planning system ever to include machine learning* features, once again breaking new ground in innovation.
Xavier Vermeren, chief medical physicist at WPE, says: “Having witnessed the early beginnings when RayStation only supported CT import and IMPT-optimization, I must say that the current functionalities of RayStation are tremendous. Now we routinely use Monte Carlo dose calculation, deformable image registration and robust optimization as standard planning technique. More than 80 patients benefit daily from the treatment plans performed in RayStation at our clinic, and over 250 pediatric cases are being treated at WPE, the largest pediatric radiation oncology center in Europe. The manifold research projects linked to RayStation and the roadmap ahead make us believe that RaySearch will continue to improve RayStation year after year.”
Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch, says: “Our first RayStation order was a real breakthrough. WPE’s demands were incredibly high, but in the end that was good for us as we had to develop the most advanced treatment planning system on the market. People said we were crazy to develop our own system, but we proved them wrong and RaySearch is now stronger than ever. The demand for our products has never been higher, and the world's leading cancer centers consider us as an important partner in developing the cancer care of the future. RaySearch has never lost a customer, and this is just the beginning. I’m very excited for the future innovations yet to find its way to our customers for the benefit of their patients.”
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’s 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
* 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
