STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 16, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Cancer treatment leader becomes 5th in world to acquire Elekta Synergy(TM) research platform system featuring on-board X-ray Volume Imaging (XVI).
In the spring of 2004, Elekta (Other OTC:EKTAF) will complete installation of an Elekta SynergyTM research platform system at Thomas Jefferson University's (TJU), Bodine Cancer Center, making the university the fifth institution worldwide to site this innovative new treatment platform. Elekta has officially appointed Thomas Jefferson University as a member of the Elekta SynergyTM research group, joining William Beaumont Hospital (Royal Oak, Michigan, USA), Princess Margaret Hospital (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Christie Hospital (Manchester, U.K.), and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Amsterdam, the Netherlands).
Equipped with an advanced X-ray Volume kilovoltage imaging system (XVI) and flat-panel AmSi detector technology, the Elekta SynergyTM research platform system provides sophisticated imaging capabilities with the patient in the treatment position. The Elekta X-ray Volume Imaging concept and prototype was developed in 1997 in collaboration with Elekta clinical partner, William Beaumont Hospital. The concept and prototype of X-ray Volume Imaging has been further developed by Elekta into a product which is part of the Elekta SynergyTM system and will make its debut on October 19, 2003 at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, ASTRO in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
"Elekta SynergyTM system with XVI is the wave of the future," says James Galvin, D.Sc., Director of Medical Physics at Thomas Jefferson University. "Because the patient is imaged within the treatment system's frame of reference, we can obtain much more timely and accurate knowledge of target position just prior to treatment, thereby minimizing the impact of set-up error and organ motion."
"We are very pleased that Thomas Jefferson University - a long-time clinical partner -- has once again chosen to invest in the future of radiation oncology," said Peter J. Gaccione, Vice President, Oncology at Elekta, Inc. "By acquiring Elekta SynergyTM research platform system, the clinicians and scientists there have demonstrated that they share our vision that radiotherapy can be transformed into a much more precise and effective treatment modality."
Thomas Jefferson University is preparing and securing funding for their first Elekta Synergy(TM) system research proposals -- studies of patients with prostate or head and neck cancers.
Elekta Synergy(TM) system is pending 510(k) premarket clearance and is not currently available for sale or distribution in the USA.
Elekta is a world-leading supplier of advanced and innovative radiation oncology and neurosurgery solutions and services for precise treatment of cancer and brain disorders. Elekta's solutions are clinically effective, cost efficient and gentle to the patient.
For additional information about Elekta, please visit www.elekta.com
Thomas Jefferson University is an academic health center located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mission is to serve society through contributions to the maintenance and enhancement of people's health and well-being. The Bodine Center for Cancer Treatment is the region's busiest radiation oncology center.
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