Varian is introducing the Halcyon, a new image-guided volumetric intensity modulated radiotherapy system that the firm says was designed, essentially from the ground up, to speed up and make easier the imaging, therapy, and even installation of the machine and the training required to use it.
Built-in workflows have reduced the number of steps from beginning to end of treatment to only nine from what used to be around thirty. A rapidly spinning built-in volumetric X-ray scanner can provide results within 15 seconds, in many cases, allowing for faster time to treatment. Since the therapy component has to spin at the same rapid rate, Varian designed a dual-layer multi-leaf collimator that is able to keep up.
The company believes so much in the new system that it claims it may be a “pathway to adaptive radiotherapy as well as opportunities for research into new treatment protocols,” according to a press release.
Here’s more from Varian about the Halcyon:
To assist in the reduction of time and construction costs from installation to first patient treatment, Halcyon comes pre-commissioned, requires less shielding than traditional systems, can fit in a vault as small as 5.9 meters (19.68 feet) x 5.539 meters (18.17 feet) x 2.743 meters (8.99 feet) high and can be installed in two weeks or less.
As part of its human-centered, user-friendly design, large touchscreens are installed on both sides of the machine to assist in easy patient set-up. For increased patient comfort, Halcyon is up to 2x quieter than other systems, has a low couch height for easy patient access, and soft indirect ambient lighting in the gantry opening. To create a closer connection between patient and therapist during Halcyon treatment, the system includes an integrated couch-mounted camera for the therapist to watch over the patient during treatment, and an integrated sound system that makes it easy for patients to converse with the therapists.
And here’s a promo video Varian released for the Halcyon:
Product page: Halcyon…
Via: Varian…