BK Medical And Varian Medical Systems Collaborate To Streamline Prostate Brachytherapy Treatments

Main Category: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Also Included In: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 30 Apr 2008 - 15:00 PDT

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BK Medical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Analogic Corporation (NASDAQ:ALOG), and Varian Medical Systems (NYSE:VAR) announced a global collaboration to improve and streamline prostate brachytherapy procedures through a new, digital interface between BK Medical's Pro Focus ultrasound scanner and Varian's VariSeed 8.0 planning software.

This new digital interface enables new ways of performing prostate brachytherapy with its easy-to-use, streamlined workflow capabilities that include automatic calibration and multiple contouring transfers. Brachytherapy is an effective and widely used weapon in the armory of oncologists in the fight against prostate cancer.

"This confirms the commitment of our two companies to pioneer innovative medical solutions," says Michael Brock, BK Medical's president. "Our market-leading positions give us a unique opportunity to keep up to date with, and respond to, our customers' evolving needs. That BK and Varian can combine their high-quality products and customer solutions is a clear advantage for our customers and their patients."

"This interface gives us a much higher quality image transfer and enables VariSeed to be far more interactive with the ultrasound unit," says Hosea Mitchell, head of Varian's brachytherapy group. "We are delighted to be working closely with BK Medical to help our customers deliver treatments more efficiently."

These efficiency improvements include improved workflow, as the image calibration data and contours are sent directly from the ultrasound to VariSeed so the user does not need to calibrate the images or re-contour the structures, thereby saving time. The new interface also offers greater flexibility, as the urologist or radiation oncologist can zoom in or out on the ultrasound while using the VariSeed intra-operative module (Implant View) without losing calibration between the two systems.

BK Medical and Varian will be co-presenting the new interface at the upcoming 2008 World Congress of Brachytherapy, May 4 - 6, in Boston, Mass., followed by the 2008 American Urological Association meeting, May 17-22, in Orlando, Fla.

Facts about BK Medical

BK Medical ApS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Analogic Corporation (NASDAQ:ALOG), specializes in the development and production of diagnostic ultrasound equipment. The company is recognized as a world leader in developing ultrasound scanners specially designed for surgery and for the investigation of urological disorders. The product line also includes scanners for other applications, such as gynecological examinations, fetal scanning, and radiology.

BK Medical is represented in 60 countries, with subsidiary sales companies in the U.S., Belgium, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the U.K. An extensive network of distributors connects B-K Medical with Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the rest of the world. The company has about 300 employees, of which about two-thirds are located in Denmark. For more information, visit http://www.bkmed.com/.

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 4,600 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 60 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com/.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release regarding future business, events, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and other similar matters, including, but not limited to, statements using the terms "can" and "expect," constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, the risks described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Varian Medical Systems