RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ.) has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Toronto, Canada regarding deformable image registration technology. RaySearch and PMH have a long-standing research collaboration focused on strategies and tools for adaptive radiation therapy. The new agreement, licensed through the Technology Development and Commercialization Office at University Health Network, further deepens the relationship and gives RaySearch the right to integrate algorithms and know-how from PMH’s research software Morfeus into RaySearch’s RayStation® treatment planning system.
Morfeus contains a set of algorithms for deformable image registration based on biomechanical modeling of anatomical structures. This makes it possible to track how the radiation dose is delivered to the patient taking into account changes occurring in the patient’s anatomy over the course of treatment. This information can be used to further refine the treatment which has the potential to increase tumor control as well as reduce the risk for side effects.
“PMH is a world leader in adaptive radiation therapy and we are very excited that they have chosen to work with us to commercialize this technology. The integration of algorithms that have been thoroughly validated by the outstanding clinical experts at PMH further strengthens RayStation’s position as the leading system for advanced treatment planning applications,” says Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch.
"Morfeus incorporates the true biomechanical nature of soft tissue deformation to improve accuracy and extensibility. I am excited to partner with the RaySearch team to translate Morfeus technology into the clinic," says Kristy Brock, Physicist at PMH and developer of Morfeus.”
The advanced biomechanical modeling in Morfeus incorporates not only the material properties of various anatomical structures, but also how they interact and affect each other. Examples include the sliding interface between the lung and the chest, and structural impact of bronchial tree in the lungs. The PMH team has developed Morfeus over the last seven years, and they have thoroughly validated the accuracy of the algorithms along the way. This is a painstaking process carried out by clinical experts manually checking that the calculated position of different anatomical points actually matches reality for a large amount of patients. The development and extensive validation of Morfeus has been documented in several publications in renowned scientific journals. This know-how will now be incorporated in RaySearch’s proprietary adaptive tools and a first version is expected to be released later in 2011 as a part of RaySearch’s treatment planning system RayStation®.
“Raysearch has proven themselves through integration of physics and engineering principles into state-of-the-art clinical products for radiation therapy. This is another great example of them identifying the best methods and working in partnership to advance them to the clinic for the benefit of cancer patients all over the world.” says David Jaffray, Director of Radiation Physics at PMH.
RayStation® integrates all RaySearch’s advanced treatment planning solutions into a flexible treatment planning system. It combines unique features such as multi-criteria optimization tools with full support for 4D adaptive radiation therapy. It also includes functionality such as RaySearch’s market-leading algorithms for IMRT and VMAT optimization and highly accurate dose engines for both photon and proton therapy. The system is built on the latest software architecture and has a graphical user interface offering state-of-the-art usability.
About RaySearch
RaySearch Laboratories is a medical technology company that develops advanced software solutions for improved radiation therapy of cancer. RaySearch’s products are mainly sold through license agreements with leading partners such as Philips, Nucletron, IBA Dosimetry, Varian, TomoTherapy and Siemens. To date, 15 products have been launched through partners and RaySearch’s software is used at some 1,800 clinics in more than 30 countries. In addition, RaySearch offers the proprietary treatment planning system RayStation® directly to clinics. RaySearch was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the company is listed in the Small Cap segment on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.
For more information about RaySearch, visit www.raysearchlabs.com.
For further information, contact:
Johan Löf, President and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB
Telephone: +46 (0)8-545 061 30
johan.lof@raysearchlabs.com