Varian & Vision RT technology revitalises radiation therapy at the PA Hospital.
Radiation Therapists Brock Lamprecht & Amy Wilson showcasing the new TrueBeam Linear Accelerator with additional Surface Guided Imaging technology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital - Radiation Oncology Department
After a long hiatus our PA5 radiation treatment unit is finally back and better than ever, with the introduction of a new TrueBeam Linear Accelerator (from Siemens Healthineers company - Varian) & Surface Guided Imaging technology (from Vision RT).
As of July 1st, our PA5 team had completed the delivery of over 50 courses of radiation therapy to treat a variety of cancer conditions and had expanded its patient schedule to accommodate approximately 25 treatment sessions per day using the recently commissioned TrueBeam radiation therapy machine.
According to Advanced Radiation Therapist - Brock Lamprecht this rapid uptick in service delivery would not have been possible without the high quality training staff received and the modernised workflows that this technology offers.
“We were very fortunate to have such highly skilled specialists from Varian and Vision RT onsite to educate and train us in these new systems. A little bit of theory, combined with their hands on approach definitely expedited the learning process.
The TrueBeam machine combined with Vision RTs surface guided imaging hardware has allowed us to deliver complex radiation treatments to patients in less time while maintaining a high level of accuracy & safety- Its a great system”.
Brock Lamprecht.
When asked to describe the features that set this equipment apart from the previously used radiation therapy technology, Senior Radiation Therapist - Amy Wilson identified several aspects where patients may benefit.
“Vision RTs infrared camera system (called Align RT®) is a game changer. It allows us to scan a patient’s skin surface in real time and match it to an outline generated from their treatment plan. So it gives us live visual feedback about their position in all dimensions before we take any X-ray scans..
With this surface guided approach it’s possible to reliably position patients for their treatment without the need for permanent skin tattoos or fully enclosed face masks.
In addition to these improvements , the TrueBeam radiation machine also provides greater automation. Tasks that previously required staff to repeatedly enter the treatment room to set machine components can now be done remotely. This reduces the amount of time the patient needs to be on the treatment bed”.
Amy Wilson.
While there is still further development work to be done, it’s clear that this equipment modernisation is already having a positive impact on our radiation therapy service delivery.
As our experience with this new technology grows patients can expect to receive faster, less invasive and more comfortable treatment that requires fewer X-ray scans to establish their treatment position. For more detailed information about the Vision RT Surface Guided System and TrueBeam radiation treatment machine please see the links below.