Radiotherapy Surface Beacon Transponder Designed for Real-Time Tracking

A newly developed surface beacon transponder is placed temporarily on the skin for real time monitoring of respiratory and other patient motion during radiotherapy, thereby greatly expanding the number of cancer sites for which the radiotherapy technology can be used.

Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA, USA) has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a surface beacon transponder to be used with the Varian Calypso system as a real-time tracking device capable of monitoring motion during radiotherapy treatments for indications anywhere in the body. “Our new surface transponder allows users to track patient motion in real time during treatment,” said Chris Toth, vice president of marketing for Varian’s oncology systems group. “It can be placed on a patient’s chest wall to monitor respiratory motion during radiotherapy. It is designed to improve targeting in some of the most prevalent types of cancer, including breast cancer.”

For example, chest wall monitoring during treatment of the left breast can correlate with the position of the heart. Having a tool to monitor this position in real time will allow clinicians to design treatments that eliminate or considerably reduce the radiation dose to the heart.

Varian acquired Calypso in October 2011 to extend the company’s range of real-time tracking tools aimed at enhancing the precision of radiotherapy treatments. “These products are a perfect complement for Varian's motion management technology, including our TrueBeam platform and dynamic imaging tools for highly focused radiosurgery,” said Tim Guertin, president and CEO of Varian Medical Systems. “

Achieving 510(k) clearance for the surface beacon transponder expands the range of applications for the Calypso "GPS for the body" real-time tracking solution.

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