University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands has selected RayStation® as its treatment planning system. RayStation will replace the hospital’s existing system for conventional (photon) radiation therapy and will be the treatment planning system for its new proton therapy center. UMCG will have 30 clinical and 16 development licenses in total.
UMCG’s new proton therapy center, currently under construction, will be equipped with IBA’s ProteusPLUS two-gantry room configuration, including pencil beam scanning (PBS) and cone beam CT capabilities. UMCG anticipates the center will treat around 600 patients per year, with the first treatments taking place end of 2017.
The RayStation installation will include adaptive radiation therapy, multi-criteria optimization and radiobiology. In addition, a cluster computing platform will provide optimized performance for the Plan Explorer feature in RayStation. Plan Explorer automatically generates a large number of high-quality treatment plan alternatives, saving time and giving the clinician a wide range of options to consider.
UMCG will also be one of the first clinics in the world to implement RayCare®, a groundbreaking oncology information system currently in development at RaySearch. RayCare is designed to improve workflows across treatment techniques and to meet the demands of new techniques and approaches in cancer treatment.
Professor Hans Langendijk, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UMCG, says: “Advanced techniques such as adaptive therapy and proton therapy demand software solutions that are equally cutting edge. We are a pioneer of radiation therapy in the Netherlands, and RaySearch is a partner that helps us improve treatment for all of our patients.”
Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch, says: “UMCG is a leading clinic and I am delighted to be able to meet their treatment planning needs for both photon and proton therapy. Our longstanding research collaboration is important and will continue with the department’s early adoption of RayCare. Together we are pioneering the future of cancer care.”
About proton therapy
Proton therapy is a cutting-edge radiation therapy technique that is growing in popularity worldwide. Its benefits include the ability to deliver maximum dose at a very precise depth in the body, with significantly less irradiation of healthy tissue.
About UMCG
UMCG is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands. More than 12,000 employees provide patient care, are involved in medical education and perform cutting-edge scientific research, focused on “healthy and active ageing”. Research and education at UMCG are funded through the University of Groningen, and the Faculty of Medical Sciences functions as an integral part of the University.
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, proton and carbon ion therapy. The system is built on the latest software architecture and features a graphical user interface with state-of-the-art usability.
About RayCare
RayCare is a next generation OIS developed from the ground up by RaySearch to support the complex logistical challenges in modern, large-scale radiation therapy centers. RayCare integrates the high performance radiation therapy algorithms available in RayStation and adds advanced features for clinical resource optimization, workflow automation and adaptive radiation therapy.
About RaySearch
RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) 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 and distributes products through licensing agreements with leading medical technology companies. The company is also developing the next-generation oncology information system, RayCare, which comprises a new product area for RaySearch, and which will be launched in 2017. RaySearch’s software is used by over 2,600 clinics in more than 65 countries. The company was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the share has been listed on NASDAQ Stockholm since November 2003.
More information about RaySearch is available at www.raysearchlabs.com
For further information, please contact:
Johan Löf, President and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: +46 (0)8-510 530 00
johan.lof@raysearchlabs.com