Radiation Oncology - Nucletron Introduces New MicroSelectron™ Digital Afterloader To Efficiently Meet Patient Needs And Future Demands

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 26 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Nucletron, a knowledge-based leader in radiation oncology, introduced its new microSelectron Digital afterloader at the 2007 American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. The new microSelectron Digital afterloader offers unprecedented scalability and connectivity, making the introduction of brachytherapy or the expansion of current brachytherapy offerings easier, more cost-effective and easily adaptable to future needs of patients and clinicians.

The new microSelectron Digital afterloader provides unparalleled versatility in brachytherapy by offering six, 18 and 30 channel systems, providing the opportunity to treat from one to 90 channels. The microSelectron™ enables highly conformal treatment of localized cancers including gynecologic, breast, prostate, skin and endorectal. An investment in a six-channel use option that meets current application requirements may be later upgraded to up to 18 or 30 channels as the need arises.

"With Nucletron's new microSelectron Digital afterloader, clinicians, physicists and dosimetrists may easily and cost-effectively upgrade to a higher number of channels with minimal downtime or additional staff training," said Jeroen Cammeraat, president of Nucletron. "This level of scalability means that cancer treatment centers can purchase equipment that not only meets current demand but immediately responds to the changing needs of their patients, all while our customer's investment is future-proof and backward compatible."

The new microSelectron:

-- Eliminates the time required to reconnect the transfer tubes when treating a larger site, dramatically shortening patient wait time during setup

-- Connects to existing Nucletron HDR and PDR brachytherapy applicators and consumables as well as other DICOM-compliant software, protecting previous investments in equipment and training

-- Comes with a simulation software that allows clinicians, physicists and dosimetrists to train on the system in a non-clinical setting, shortening the learning curve and optimizing patient throughput

-- Includes onConnect, a unique remote service solution that is part of the comprehensive OncoSupport service package. Through onConnect, the equipment provides performance data, alerts and alarms to the Nucletron support team so that proactive, rapid service and support may be delivered securely over the Internet, increasing the reliability and uptime of the system

"The microSelectron Digital afterloader is the latest example of Nucletron's longstanding commitment to providing turnkey brachytherapy solutions that cover all aspects of planning, imaging and treatment," said Cammeraat. "We partner with our customers to ensure our brachytherapy equipment meets their specific needs - today and in the future."

At the AAPM Annual Meeting

The new microSelectron Digital afterloader will be on display throughout the 2007 AAPM Annual Meeting. Visitors to the Nucletron booth may receive a customized demonstration of the new equipment based on the cancer treatment site of interest, i.e., breast, prostate, skin, gynecologic and endorectal.

Nucletron will also offer two "Lunch and Learn" seminars at AAPM:

-- Monday, July 23: Brachytherapy
-- Tuesday, July 24: Radiation Therapy

About Nucletron

Established in 1975, Nucletron is a medical device company specializing in the development, manufacture, sales, service and support of some of the world's most innovative products used in the treatment of cancer. A knowledge-driven leader in Radiation Oncology, Nucletron is committed to working with clinical teams on an individual basis to obtain solutions and systems focused on improving patient care. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Nucletron has offices in 16 countries around the world and delivers tailored services and systems to more than 3,000 institutions across 120 countries.

http://www.nucletron.com