LITTLETON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mevion Medical Systems, the leader in compact proton therapy, and UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health, a leading health system serving Central Florida, announced today the first patient treatment on a MEVION S250 proton therapy system in conjunction with Airo®, a mobile, diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scanner. The advanced 3D CT-based localization is integrated to Verity™ Patient Positioning System, a component of the MEVION S250 Series, and is based on high-precision stereotactic localization and tracking technology. This solution improves treatment accuracy and reduces patient positioning uncertainties.
Orlando Health has been a pioneer in the implementation of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). The MEVION S250 is the first compact proton therapy system to integrate an in-room CT scanner for high-precision positioning and adaptive treatment, enhancing Orlando Health’s leadership in IGRT. CT imaging provides superior, high-resolution images that can be used for both positioning and adaptive treatment.
“The stereotactic integration of in-room diagnostic CT scanning for high-precision positioning and adaptive proton therapy represents the most advanced IGRT in a compact proton therapy system,” said Joseph K. Jachinowski, the president and CEO of Mevion Medical Systems. “Combining the diagnostic image quality of the Airo’s CT imaging with the precision of the MEVION S250 Series advances our mission of delivering transformative proton therapy. With six clinical Mevion centers and more than 10 years combined operational experience; we continue to demonstrate that Mevion proton therapy delivers high quality proton therapy treatments with successful clinical, operational and business models for cancer centers of all sizes.”
Orlando Health treated its first patient using a MEVION S250 in April 2016, and in less than four months was treating more than 20 patients per day. In fact, the MEVION S250 Series’ fast ramp up time, high throughput rate, and low operating costs are some of the reasons why Mevion proton therapy systems are being installed at more NCI-Designated Cancer Centers than any other proton therapy system. Additionally, the MEVION S250 Series is capable of treating a wide variety of complex cases in adult and pediatric patients. In Orlando, it has treated tumors of the CNS, head and neck, breast, spine, and other sensitive locations.
“Proton therapy is the most advanced treatment in radiation therapy and has allowed us to significantly reduce harmful radiation to healthy tissue, which is especially important for cancers near sensitive, hard-to-reach locations, both in children and adults,” said Naren R. Ramakrishna, M.D., Ph.D., director of neurologic and pediatric radiation oncology at Orlando Health. “Integrating proton therapy within our cancer center has given us the ability to provide a comprehensive range of services, allowing us to keep our patients in our system to receive the best treatment possible. In-room diagnostic CT imaging for positioning and treatment adaptation allows us to provide the most accurate treatment localization with protons.”
“This is an advancement in how we can precisely position patients for proton therapy compared to conventional planar imaging methods,” explained Omar Zeidan, Ph.D., chief of proton therapy physics at Orlando Health. “This CT-based IGRT system offers superior stereotactic localization with submillimeter accuracy in addition to the capability for adaptive proton therapy.”
About Mevion Medical Systems®
Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of compact proton therapy systems for cancer care. Mevion is based in Littleton, Massachusetts, with international offices in the Netherlands, Japan and China. For more information, please visit www.mevion.com.
About the MEVION S250 Series™
The MEVION S250 Series offers the smallest, most advanced proton therapy solution available today. Its unique gantry-mounted proton accelerator provides superior treatment delivery, reduces complexity and cost, and significantly streamlines operations. No other proton therapy system can match the quality, size, cost and efficiency of the MEVION S250 Series.
The MEVION S250 Series includes:
- MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System®, offering highly stable, next-generation volumetric delivery capabilities
- MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System™ with HYPERSCAN™ and Adaptive Aperture™, overcoming pencil beam scanning uncertainties by delivering robust IMPT treatment at hyper-speed
- MEVION S250mx™, making proton therapy fully scalable, with two, three and four room designs that are inherently redundant and support 100% facility uptime
The MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System with HYPERSCAN with Adaptive Aperture is not yet FDA cleared.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $2.6 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers throughout Central Florida. The organization is home to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. More than 2,000 physicians have privileges at Orlando Health, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 15,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $270 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at Orlando Health.
