• 11/5/2006
  • Plainsboro, NJ
  • press release
  • PrimeZone.com

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation today announced that its subsidiary Integra Radionics launched its latest radiosurgery software, XKnife(TM) version RT 4.0, at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).

XKnife(TM) version RT 4.0 software is the tenth major release of the Integra Radionics radiosurgical treatment planning software, which was originally developed in collaboration with Harvard Medical School for the precise treatment of brain tumors. Through continued collaborations with institutions worldwide, the software has evolved into a system capable of precisely treating tumors in the brain, head and neck, lung, prostate, and spine. In addition to the three-dimensional treatment planning software, the XKnife(TM) system includes stereotactic localizers and immobilizers, radiosurgical collimators, a miniature multileaf collimator, and quality assurance instrumentation. Over 350 XKnife(TM) radiosurgery systems have been installed worldwide.

Unlike conventional surgery, XKnife(TM) radiosurgery is completely non-invasive and does not require a surgical incision. This eliminates the discomfort and complications associated with standard surgery. Cancerous or other diseased tissue can be treated with focused radiation beams from a linear accelerator (linac) that are precisely guided using CT, MRI, and PET images. Surrounding normal tissue is spared and patients are typically able to leave the hospital immediately after their approximate thirty minute single treatment. To date, over 45,000 patients have undergone XKnife(TM) radiosurgery.

The latest XKnife(TM) software offers the benefit of improved treatment planning efficiencies, enhanced quality assurance (QA), and increased synergies with new radiotherapy technologies. Shorter planning time is a product of various industry-first features within the automatic segmentation, contouring, and dose evaluation tools. Furthermore, because Linux workstations are now supported for the first time, customers upgrading to the latest software will have access to much faster performance. Safety is improved with a universal QA mode for simulating any treatment plan with any phantom, and DICOM-RT DRR export has been added for patient setup verification. Additional support, for the new radiotherapy treatment called image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), has been implemented as part of the Integra Radionics High Definition Radiation Therapy (HDRT) platform for extracranial frameless stereotactic treatments.

“We have been using the XKnife(TM) system very successfully for precise radiation treatments of the brain, head and neck, for five years. Recently, we began using the system for lung and spine tumors,” added Dr. Satish M. Jaywant, Physicist and Associate Professor at Cancer Institute of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in the Department of Radiation Oncology, New Brunswick, NJ. “The latest software has given us greater flexibility and time savings, which allows us to direct more of our attention toward the patient.” Dr. Jaywant has had experience with the XKnife(TM) system for over ten years at other institutions, and is in the process of implementing XKnife(TM) HDRT for frameless stereotaxy treatments on their linac, which has been upgraded with IGRT capability.

“XKnife version RT 4.0 software represents a major upgrade to our radiosurgery portfolio” said Christopher von Jako, general manager of Integra Radionics. “Our innovation continues to be a direct result of ongoing collaborations with our customers. The latest software is full of powerful new features that produce tangible benefits. The five times speed increase, combined with enhanced dose evaluation tools, streamlines the patient treatment planning process. The neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist, and the radiotherapy staff can now create many variations of a complex plan and more efficiently converge on an ideal solution.”