For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Cheri Winchester
636.530.1235 x 223
cwinchester@commongroundpr.com
For more information, contact:
Meryl Ginsberg
650 424-6444
meryl.ginsberg@varian.com
Envisioneering and Varian Team to Improve Prostate Cancer Treatments
Deal Integrates Innovations to Deliver Highly Targeted Radiation Therapies
St. Louis, Mo. (October 28, 2007) – St. Louis-based Envisioneering Medical Technologies and Varian Medical Systems, Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif. (NYSE:VAR) today announced that they are working together to improve Low Dose Rate (LDR) brachytherapy prostate cancer treatments.
Envisioneering is configuring its TargetScan®, a first-to-market prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment system featuring 3-D ultrasound and a stationary probe, to work with Varian’s VariSeed™ brachytherapy treatment planning software. Together, these technologies support brachytherapy treatment precision, reducing costs and complexities associated with traditional brachytherapy treatment planning and delivery, according to the companies.
Brachytherapy, a minimally invasive therapy that places radioactive seeds directly into the affected prostate, relies on real-time treatment planning and a stabilized prostate for treatment precision. By using TargetScan and VariSeed together, for the first time radiation oncologists can leverage 3-D ultrasound technology and a stabilized probe linked directly to real-time treatment planning software. Other methods that do not utilize a stationary ultrasound probe can allow the prostate to shift, potentially leading to inaccurate and ineffective seed placement.
“We can now automatically transport 3-D prostate ultrasound images into our VariSeed system to plan and assess where seeds are placed and know with certainty how effectively the gland was treated,” said Ted Jackson, PhD, Varian’s chief developer of the VariSeed software. “This represents the next evolution in prostate cancer treatment delivery and planning.”
TargetScan’s 3-D imaging improves the visibility of the prostate so physicians can more effectively gather the gland’s dimensions to calculate and monitor seed implantation. Its fixed probe eliminates the time and costs associated with traditional systems and their digital stepper technology, which physically moves the ultrasound probe within the patient. By incorporating TargetScan’s stabilized probe, patients benefit from improved comfort and more accurate treatments.
“By configuring TargetScan to work with Varian’s real-time treatment planning, we are placing new capabilities into the hands of radiation oncologists and their fight against prostate cancer,” said Robert G. Mills, Envisioneering Medical Technologies president. “We’re not only thrilled with what this means for physicians and prostate cancer patients, but also how our collaboration can evolve so that we may continue to pioneer new frontiers in the diagnosing and treatment of prostate cancer.”
About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is a premier supplier of tubes and digital detectors for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies X-ray imaging products for cargo screening and industrial inspection. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 4,500 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and approximately 60 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com.
About Envisioneering Medical Technologies
Based in St. Louis, Mo., Envisioneering Medical Technologies is dedicated to developing, manufacturing and marketing proprietary diagnostic and treatment technology for the physician community. For more information please visit www.envisioneeringmedical.com.
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