At the 55th American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting, September 22-25 in Atlanta, Royal Philips  had a number of its newest technologies on display. Highlights included:

-Philips introduced the Ingenia MR-RT Oncology Configuration as a comprehensive solution that allows radiation oncology departments to integrate MR imaging into CT-based radiation treatment planning workflow. This solution is designed to provide clinicians with high-quality MR images that can improve the detail of the image for defining tumor contours through soft-tissue contrast. The 70-cm wide-bore Ingenia scanner accommodates a flat table top and a variety of MR-compatible accessories for imaging in the radiation therapy treatment position. Reproducible patient positioning is supported by the external laser positioning system.

-Brilliance CT Big Bore: Designed to meet the unique imaging and workflow requirements of radiotherapy, the latest innovations to the system are metal artifact reduction for orthopedic implants (O-MAR), for artifact prevention in images that are caused by large orthopedic implants, and iDose4, Philips technology that improves image quality, reduces artifacts, and increases spatial resolution, all at a low dose to the patient.

-GEMINI TF Big Bore PET/CT: Since its introduction in 2009, this system has been installed at more than 67 hospitals and cancer centers worldwide as it was specifically designed to overcome the difficulties of using PET/CT for radiation therapy. The PET feature includes Philips’ time-of-flight technology, Astonish TF, which enhances image quality by reducing image artifacts and providing increased sensitivity

-Pinnacle3: This system is recognized as a treatment planning system for external beam radiotherapy, providing accuracy and reliability independent of the treatment delivery system. Several new Pinnacle3 features were on display at ASTRO 2013:

  •         Pinnacle3 9.4 with SPICE saves times by automating the contouring process and improving consistency.
  •         Pinnacle3 9.6 with Dynamic Planning provides a fast assessment to determine the need to re-plan and dynamically tracks the impact of patient changes to treatment plans. The fullAccess feature accelerates the plan review by providing the ability to review and annotate images or plans remotely.
  •         Pinnacle3 9.8 reduces planning time by quickly calculating the dose required for the patient.