A Medical Device Daily

Orbital Therapy (Bedford, Massachusetts) reported that it has been issued U.S. patent 7,526,066 for a unique external beam radiotherapy treatment machine optimized for breast cancer patients.

This device currently under development by Orbital Therapy will place the patient in the prone position to increase the separation of the target from the rest of the patient, and virtually eliminate motion caused by breathing. The clinician will have full 360 access to the breast, allowing for modern treatment techniques to be delivered ranging from focal to whole breast irradiation. This device will include integrated shielding, protecting the patient from unwanted exposure to radiation. In addition, the integrated shielding will not require the healthcare facility to set up a traditional vault (bunker) to use the device, and will potentially allow for mobile application. Building a vault can easily cost $1 million and is a major barrier to adding additional treatment units in remote and congested areas.

"For the first time ever with high energy X-rays, the majority of the patient will be outside of the bunker during the treatment. With continued progress in early detection, patients are more concerned with long term effects caused by unwanted radiation, which is unavoidable on a conventional treatment machine", said Jason Koshnitsky, CEO of Orbital Therapy.