GE’s latest Radiotherapy Simulation CT Systems Target Cancer
WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 1, 2011 – As the 2011 American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) joint meeting opens today in Vancouver, Canada, GE Healthcare announced the recent FDA clearance and increasing global utilization of its new platform of Radiotherapy (RT) Planning Computed Tomography (CT) systems. Highlighted by the Discovery* CT590 RT, these cutting-edge CT systems are designed specifically with treatment planning in mind and help physicians address the increasingly specialized imaging needs of patients.
GE’s new wide bore RT portfolio – including the Discovery CT590 RT and Optima* CT580 RT – is dedicated to meeting both current and future clinical oncology demands for diagnostic accuracy, enhanced visualization, complex patient positioning and monitoring, and productive workflow.
“This new RT platform represents yet another step toward more patient-centered, user-friendly medical imaging for oncology,” said Scott Schubert, General Manager for GE Healthcare’s Premium CT Product Marketing. “Designed to offer enhancements in precision and workflow while delivering accurate image detail, these systems are ultimately about helping physicians deliver high quality cancer treatment across the entire therapy process.”
Built from the ground up and flexible in a variety of radiation oncology settings, the new RT systems are powered by the latest in GE CT technology. For example, the Discovery CT590 RT offers an automated 4D video organ motion recording feature which captures organ movement to better adapt future radiation therapy treatments.
“As new treatment technologies emerge in radiotherapy, there is an increasing need for intuitive imaging systems supported by robust clinical applications and reliable service,” said Randy Hemingway, Administrative Director of Radiation Oncology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. “Our new Discovery CT590 RT with Advantage 4D and Advantage SimMD offer just such benefits – helping us improve workflow with accuracy as we seek optimal clinical outcomes that best meet our patients’ needs.”
In addition to imaging for oncology, this new family of RT products will also be available for interventional and bariatric CT. In fact, the Discovery CT590 RT can leverage GE’s leading dose reduction technology called ASiR* (Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction). This reconstruction technology may enable reduction in pixel noise standard deviation and improvement in low contrast detectability, and may allow for reduced mA in the acquisition of diagnostic images, thereby reducing the dose required.+
“For clinicians and physicians, clear visualization and low contrast detectability are important for effective treatment,” noted Schubert. “This new RT platform leverages GE’s advanced CT technology and image quality for the demanding clinical needs in radiation therapy, bariatric surgery and interventional programs – all in an effort to enhance workflow and help physicians best serve patients.”
* Trademark of General Electric Company
+ In clinical practice, the use of ASiR may reduce CT patient dose depending on the clinical task, patient size, anatomical location and clinical practice. A consultation with a radiologist and a physicist should be made to determine the appropriate dose to obtain diagnostic image quality for the particular clinical task.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.
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