CERN, INFN and RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) have signed a long-term license agreement allowing RaySearch to utilize the FLUKA Monte Carlo code in its research and development in the field of ion beam therapy.
FLUKA is a general purpose tool for calculations of particle transport and interactions with matter, covering an extended range of applications spanning from proton and electron accelerator shielding to target design, calorimetry, activation, dosimetry, detector design, accelerator driven systems, cosmic rays, neutrino physics and radiation therapy. The FLUKA code has been developed and is maintained by CERN and INFN and represents state-of-the-art in terms of simulation accuracy in areas where hadron interaction physics play an important role.
At RaySearch, the FLUKA code will be an essential tool for research and development in the field of ion beam therapy, which is the most advanced form of external radiation therapy where the tumor is irradiated using, for example, carbon ion beams. Compared to conventional radiation therapy, where the tumor is irradiated using photons, the energy deposition of the ion beams can be controlled more effectively. This means that the radiation dose can be delivered even more precisely and, as a result, the unwanted dose to healthy tissues can be reduced, leading to a reduction in treatment-related side effects. In addition, radiation therapy with carbon ions can be used to target tumors with low levels of oxygen, so called hypoxic tumors, for which conventional radiation therapy has limited effect.
By the license agreement concluded, RaySearch is entitled to integrate data generated by the FLUKA code into algorithms of RaySearch’s treatment planning system, RayStation®. Ongoing development comprise a new module for carbon ion treatment optimization, where FLUKA results will be input to pencil beam and Monte Carlo dose engines, and into computations of relative biological effectiveness. The new module will be included in version 5 of RayStation®, to be released in December 2015. MedAustron in Wiener Neustadt in Austria and Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) in Pavia, Italy, will be the first centers to use RayStation® clinically for carbon ion treatment planning.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with such prestigious institutions as CERN and INFN in our continued development in the field of ion beam therapy, which truly is state-of-the-art in radiation therapy,” says Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch. “We believe that this new agreement will help to position RayStation® as the leading treatment planning system in carbon ion therapy.”
About RayStation®
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 photon, electron 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 markets the RayStation® treatment planning system to clinics all over the world. In addition, RaySearch’s products are distributed through licensing agreements with leading medical technology companies. RaySearch’s software is used by over 2,500 clinics in more than 65 countries. 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, please visit www.raysearchlabs.com
For further information, please contact:
Johan Löf, President and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: 46 (0)8-510 530 00