A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH; Toronto) said that it would enhance its "leadership in image-guided radiation therapy" (IGRT) with the addition of an Elekta Synergy system from Elekta (Stockholm, Sweden). PMH also said that it will build "on its stereotactic expertise" by installing Canada's first Elekta Synergy S, a radiation delivery system for advanced stereotactic cancer treatments.

"Elekta Synergy brings together three key elements that are major developments for cancer care: reduced risk for side effects, potential for dose escalation and efficient delivery of care," said Mary Gospodarowicz, MD, FRCPC, chief of radiation oncology at PMH.

Elekta said that by imaging patients "in the treatment position during the actual time of treatment, Elekta Synergy is able to deliver the intended radiation dose to a target with significantly more confidence. For the first time, radiation oncologists have real-time 3-D image information and the most precise treatment delivery, all from the same system. Between and during treatment sessions, patients' internal organ movement can shift the position of the cancer tumor, compromising the effectiveness of the radiation treatment. With online imaging, the beam can be positioned more accurately prior to and during radiation treatment delivery."

The stereotactic features of the Elekta Synergy S extend the image-guided capability of the Synergy system, the company said, "offering exciting new possibilities for treating small tumors close to critical structures." The system includes Elekta's Beam Modulator, a high-resolution, multi-leaf collimator used on surgical sites outside the brain, such as cancers of the spine, liver, neck, prostate, pancreas and lung.

Mark Symons, general manager of Elekta Canada, termed PMH "one of four hospitals instrumental in the clinical development of the Elekta Synergy image-guided platform, and is currently a member of the Elekta Synergy Research Group. By doubling the number of Elekta Synergy units, PMH is confirming that image-guided technology is relevant for North America, and it contributes to more effective cancer treatment."

Elekta reports its systems used in more than 3,000 hospitals worldwide to treat cancer, to manage clinical operations and to diagnose and treat brain disorders, including tumors, vascular malformations and functional disorders.

PMH, a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto, specializes in cancer research, treatment and education, seeing about 190,000 outpatients annually.

SmartPACS (Phillipsburg, New Jersey) reported the signing of picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) installation contracts with four U.S. healthcare facilities. Those facilities include Midway Hospital Medical Center (Los Angeles), Centinella Freeman Regional Medical Center (Inglewood, California), the Brooklyn Hospital Center (Brooklyn, New York), and Hunterdon Radiology Association (Flemington, New Jersey).

The six-year contracts are valued at $14 million and mark the company's expansion to the West Coast.

All four contracts were sold based on SmartPACS' Electronic Image Management Solutions financial program.