[April 05, 2014] |
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Elekta: Dutch Medical Center Begins Installation of World's First High-Field MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy System
UTRECHT, the Netherlands --(Business Wire)--
Regulatory News:
Elekta (NSE:EKTAb), Royal Philips (News - Alert) (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHIA) and University
Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht (the Netherlands) announced today that the
initial components of the world's first high-field magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) guided radiation therapy system are being installed at UMC
Utrecht. This marks a significant milestone toward the development of a
clinical system capable of capturing highly detailed MR images of tumors
and surrounding normal tissues as a patient receives radiotherapy.
Development of the high-field MRI-guided linear accelerator (linac) is
the mission of the MR Linac Research Consortium headed by Elekta and
supported by Philips.
The integration of an advanced Philips 1.5 Tesla MRI system with a
sophisticated Elekta radiation therapy system - enabling simultaneous
imaging during beam delivery - could allow doctors to adapt radiation
therapy during the procedure, increasing treatment accuracy, potentially
reducing side effects and enabling increases in the therapeutic dose.
On April 5, the first component - the system's ring gantry on which
linac parts are mounted - was lowered by crane through a modular roof
into one of UMC Utrecht's radiotherapy treatment rooms. In the coming
months, additional components will be integrated and the system will
undergo a program of non-clinical testing, which includes the
performance evaluation of MRI sequences, testing of different adaptive
delivery methods, establishing quality assurance techniques and defining
workflow.
"Since formation of the consortium in 2012, members have been exploring
the feasibility of high-field MRI-guided radiotherapy. Installation of
the first generation system is truly a major step toward moving this
technology into the clinic to benefit patients," says Bas Raaymakers,
PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Radiotherapy, UMC Utrecht.
"We're immensely proud of the critical role that UMC Utrecht has played
in collaboration with Philips and Elekta in this project for over 10
years."
"As the founding member of the consortium, UMC Utrecht has been
instrumental in turning the concept of MRI guided radiation therapy into
a working system, and has invested a great deal of effort and resources
to make it a reality," adds omas Puusepp, President and CEO, Elekta.
"We are excited about the prospect of taking high-field MRI-guided
radiation therapy to the next stage."
"Highly targeted treatments will be essential in the battle to control
cancer, so together with our partners we are stepping up our efforts to
create new solutions in interventional oncology," says Gene Saragnese,
CEO Imaging Systems (News - Alert) at Philips Healthcare. "The installation of the
first generation MR-guided radiation system at UMC Utrecht is an
important milestone in the development of an innovation that is designed
to make a real difference in cancer care."
In addition to UMC Utrecht, the other consortium members are: The
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas), The
Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (Amsterdam,
the Netherlands), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
and The Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin).
The above information is such that Elekta AB (publ) shall make public in
accordance with the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial
Instruments Trading Act. The information was published at 07:30 CET on
April 5, 2014.
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and
clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company
develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning
systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well
as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer
care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing
intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to
both health care providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong
and even save patient lives. Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and
neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs
around 3,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located
in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange
under the ticker STO:EKTAB. Website: www.elekta.com.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and
well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through
meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and
Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of
EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 115,000 employees with sales
and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in
cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting
solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and
grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
About University Medical Center Utrecht
University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) belongs to the largest
public healthcare institutions in the Netherlands. UMC Utrecht has the
ambition to be a leading international healthcare provider, medical
school and research institute. UMC Utrecht employs 11,000 people that
are dedicated to prevent disease, improve healthcare, develop new
treatment methods and refine existing ones, with patient safety and
quality as cornerstones. For more information, visit www.umcutrecht.nl.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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