Imaging Technology: The Advancement and Transformation in Cancer Treatment

Researchers and manufacturers are heading towards integrating real-time imaging technology into therapy systems to improve cancer treatment. Also, manufacturers are moving towards Flash Therapy, a powerful addition to delivering ultra-high doses of radiation in a few seconds.

It's a long list of manufacturers working on the technology, so let's look at how proton therapy and radiation therapy transform the world.

PROTON THERAPY

Hitachi Proton

In April, Tsukuba University in Japan chose Hitachi Proton's technology in a public bidding procedure to establish their second proton center, which will open in 2025. Hitachi gained Japanese PMDA clearance in September 2020 for imaging technology for their PROBEAT proton treatment system with dual-CBCT capabilities and 4D CBCT capacity.

The manager of the particle therapy division of Hitachi America, Yui Yoshida, has many points in mind. He said today's technologies are comparatively faster and more adequate for imaging. With dual-CBCT, (clinicians) will be willing to handle CBCT imaging technology with just a 110-degree rotation of the tower, speeding up the process and facilitating treatment procedures. Throughout the therapy, Hitachi employs a real-time imaging gating system. In addition, by eliminating motion effects during patient placement, 4D CBCT imaging technology will improve picture resolution.

IBA

IBA intends to promote its Proteus proton treatment systems by promoting, selling, installing, and maintaining them. It has distributed over 60 systems throughout the world, serving over 100,000 patients. In early 2022, the University of Kansas Cancer Center will establish its next treatment center in the United States. IBA is collaborating with its customers and key partners on innovative therapeutically relevant technology. 

A full suite of motion management software to cope with internal mobility is one of the emerging technologies in this era. X-Ray gating, beam gating, and beam repainting are only a few of the company's current offerings. It is now working on a method to analyze interaction during the design process and a 4D imaging mode to test the setup's resilience before, throughout, and after therapy administration.

Our clients should improve the number of patients who qualify for proton treatment by altering the way organ movement is regulated. In addition, IBA is working on DynamicARC proton therapy, which uses a rotating gantry to give spot-scanning proton beam treatments.

The president of IBA Proton Therapy North America, Frederic Genin, explained that this technology is comparatively faster than the intensity-modulated proton therapy. As a consequence, the treatment room's patient capacity will be increased. Proton treatment provided with DynamicARC, according to early findings released by University Medical Center in Groningen, could now allow for head and neck tumors that previously did not meet the requirements for proton therapy. The business recently formed a DynamicARC consortium to collaborate with critical academic accounts to deliver the DynamicARC therapy paradigm to clinics.

Our most valuable asset is our network of users, who collectively have over 250 years of medical proton treatment expertise. Preclinical research on ConformalFLASH treatment is also being conducted by IBA customers, with publications issued by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and various universities. It combines the benefits of both the FLASH dosage rates and the Bragg peak: the Flash effect and the conformality.

Mevion

The Huntsman Cancer Institute continued to treat patients using the MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System following a seven-month deployment. Mevion also reported the start of deployment of the MEVION S250i at Mercy St. Louis and upgrading Barnes-Jewish Hospital's premier compact proton system to add HYPERSCAN Pencil Beam Scanning and FLASH distribution network. 

Mevion is still working on FLASH proton treatment and recently released a study on delivering FLASH dose rates at any depths using its commercial accelerator, as well as the initial preclinical findings proving the FLASH impact at the Bragg peak. According to the business, FLASH therapy has the potential to extend hypofractionated treatments, hence increasing proton therapy usage and availability. 

Mevion is likewise growing its worldwide presence. Last year, the business brought the first tiny proton accelerator to China, and this year, it launched multi-institution cooperation to open China's first pediatric proton treatment facility. 

Orfit

Orfit developed their Aerial Couch Top for proton treatment last year. The sofa top is connected to a robotic arm that floats in the air, allowing patients to receive without obstructions. Just below the beam, there are no structural supports that may obstruct it. Aerial works with proton treatment equipment from Varian, IBA, and Mevion. 

The HP PRO thermoplastic mask system from Orfit is incorporated into Aerial. It attaches to an expansion of the couch top for immobilization to address brain, head, and neck malignancies. 

Orfit also developed the third iteration of their Fully - featured patient positioning system in 2020, consisting of a carbon fiber bottom plate and positioning cushions over the examination table for conventional radiotherapy. Patients are placed utilizing cushions composed of soft foam in the newly developed AIO Solution 3.0. 

The cushions can survive rigorous usage, and the inclusion of handles, the use of tapping rather than screwing materials to secure the base plate, and the use of lightweight materials keep them comfortable. 

ProTom International

Since February 2020, the Gordon-Browne Proton Therapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital has used ProTom's single-room Radiance 330 Proton Therapy System to treat patients. The Radiance 330 is available in a single-room design, but ProTom can also supply multi-treatment room and extendable options. 

According to chief executive officer Stephen Spotts of ProTom International, the company is also aggressively investigating imaging technology with protons, a technique that will enhance proton therapy planning and management. 

ProTom intends to remain to partner with its system users in the improvement of proton tomography and radiography, according to Spotts. While ProTom continues to flourish in the United States, it is also aggressively building an international market, with clients in Australia and a distribution deal in effect to extend Radiance 330 sales into China.

According to the manufacturer, the Radiance 330 proton treatment device will be installed in the upcoming Australian Bragg Centre in Adelaide. It will be Australia's and the Southern Hemisphere's first proton treatment facility, with plans to open in early 2024. 

To commercialize the Radiance 330 system in mainland China, ProTom has struck a distribution and license deal with Guohong Guokang (Beijing) Health Technology Development Co. Ltd. (GHGK). 

RADIATION THERAPY

Accuray

Accuray introduced ClearRT, helical kVCT imaging on the Radixact system earlier this year. It's built to generate near-diagnostic-quality photos at a high rate, reducing its time to create typical three-dimensional imaging from four minutes to under 30 seconds. Customers couldn't distinguish between ClearRT helical kVCT and planning imaging since the image quality was so outstanding. On the Radixact radiation therapy system, Accuray plans to add VOLO Ultra, a new approach to therapeutic interventions. 

According to Lawson, the technology, which is 510(k) awaiting at the time of publication, speeds up treatment management and implementation by up to 60%. It's also backward compatible with prior TomoTherapy Systems and may be utilized in a variety of situations. 

The new planning technology, RayStation planning for CyberKnife, was 510(k) active at the publishing date. It incorporates features from RaySearch's Raystation software into CyberKnife. The objective is to strive to provide best-in-class alternatives to our clients. 

Akesis

Akesis Galaxy RTi, an advanced gamma stereotactic radiosurgery device for neurosurgery, gained FDA certification in March. The rotating gamma system has real-time, in-line CBCT + kV/kV imaging technology that enables location verification in the middle of the treatment. 

Compared to previous systems with up to 200 separate sources, the system provides a simple drawer with 30 gamma source information. As a result, replacing the Cobalt-60 takes only a week rather than a month, resulting in less downtime. 

Brainlab

Brainlab recently launched the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) workflow for ExacTrac Dynamic. This new version of the ExcTrac Dynamic and Monitoring system includes thermal, surface, and X-ray monitoring at any seat position. The latest version of Elements Spine SRS, Multiple Brain Mets SRS, and Elements Cranial SRS was delivered to 250 clients last year.

Planning and preparation elements were included in each software platform. Anatomical Mapping is a feature that transfers data sets to a synthetic full-body tissue model and adjusts to the imaging modality for more regular and precise classification. Mint Medical bought Brainlab in 2020, which enables the organized analysis of radiological data. Brainlab intends to establish an ecosystem by integrating its anatomical mapping technology with the Mint software.

It enables a smooth transition of patient information from radiology to tumor boards, patient management, and follow-up. This discovery enables us to arrange data from the beginning of the patient pathway, providing more thorough and medically reliable information to the therapy planning stage. Following treatments, combining records from oncology and radiology with Visiontree will improve the follow-up process and help for a comprehensive response evaluation and patient-reported status metrics. 

Bottom Line

The above-mentioned medical equipment manufacturers use technology in a truly better way to enhance the treatment and medication effectiveness. Many other manufacturers contribute to this effort, like ZAP-X, Pyrexar, Xoft, Leo Cancer Care, RefleXion Medical, Elekta, GT Medical Technologies, etc. The transformation in cancer treatments with imaging technology is remarkable, and it will surely be the reason for quick recovery, early diagnosis, and good health.