Varian公司研制出四维放射治疗控制台

一种新型四维整合治疗控制台，通过帮助临床医生更加快速地以较低成本传送先进的放射治疗方法，从而加速癌症治疗。

这种技术是由Varian医疗系统公司(Palo Alto, CA, USA)研制开发的，正在传送包括SmartBeam密度调制放射治疗（IMRT）以及Dynamic靶向影像引导放射治疗（IGRT）。

美国Enloe医学中心主任医疗物理学家Randy Holt说：“只需要我们花20分钟来传送七区域前列腺IMRT治疗，包括验证患者位置的每日影像检查。在14分钟内即可完成。”

根据Holt博士的说法，更快的治疗时间意味着更好的患者预后。“当治疗时间很长的时候，意味着更多的患者运动，而这并不是你所需要的。将患者运动降低至最小程度，是我们所能够做的最重要的事情。而回报就是患者在整个治疗过程中更加舒服。”

根据Holt博士的说法，在Enloe医学中心医生输送复杂的放射治疗治疗所花费的中位数时间下降了30％。“这就意味着在整个科室费用下降了15％。一旦我们部署这种4维治疗控制台，我们将不再需要治疗操作者加班工作。”
 
Console Expedites Radiotherapy Treatments
 
A new four-dimensional (4D) integrated treatment console is speeding up cancer treatments by making it possible for clinicians to deliver advanced types of radiotherapy more quickly and more cost effectively.

This technology, developed by Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA, USA), is expediting delivery of treatments including SmartBeam intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and Dynamic Targeting image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

“It used to take us 20 minutes to deliver a seven-field prostate IMRT treatment, including daily imaging to verify a patient’s position,” said Randy Holt, Ph.D., chief medical physicist at the Enloe Medical Center (Chico, CA. USA). “That’s dropped down to well under 14 minutes.”

According to Dr. Holt, the quicker treatment times mean better patient care. “When treatments are lengthy, there is more patient movement, and you don’t want that. Minimizing patient motion is one of the most important things we can do. The bonus is that the patient is more comfortable with the entire process.”

There has been a 30% median reduction in the amount of time it takes clinicians to deliver a complicated radiotherapy treatment at the Enloe Medical Center, according to Dr. Holt. “That has translated into a 15% improvement in overall department cost efficiency. Once we implemented the 4D treatment console, we eliminated therapists’ overtime.”