29 October 2012
GE Healthcare Highlights Innovations in Advanced Imaging and Software for Improved Precision and Workflow in Radiation Oncology at ASTRO 2012
BOSTON– October 29, 2012 – GE Healthcare, a Division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), will showcase a number of new advanced imaging technologies and software capabilities, and also highlight the company’s long tradition of innovation at the 54th Annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Meeting, taking place in Boston October 28-31, 2012.
For more than 100 years, GE has been committed to developing cutting-edge technologies for healthcare. That same spirit of innovation in service to patients and clinicians is evident in more recent technologies designed specifically for use in radiation oncology.
“While GE Healthcare has long been recognized for innovation in imaging, the field of radiation oncology requires not just advanced technology, but also an understanding of the tools needed for the accurate and precise delivery of effective and efficient patient care,” said Paul Anderson, general manager of Oncology for GE Healthcare. “At ASTRO, we plan to not only highlight the advancements that have set GE apart over the past 100 years, but our most recent innovations that address the needs of the radiation oncology department and its patients.”
The company will highlight several new technologies in their booth during ASTRO that help advance the field of radiation oncology by facilitating collaboration in a multidisciplinary environment, including the recently-introduced Q.Suite for use in PET imaging, the MD Connect software platform, and wide-bore platforms in MR & CT.
Q.Suite
During the course of cancer treatment, clinicians traditionally gauge progress by looking for physical change in the size of a tumor, typically using Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance (MR). However, with quantitative PET imaging, physicians are also able to consider a tumor’s metabolic activity, which can give physicians an earlier view of how well a treatment is working. For quantitative PET to be effective, consistency of SUV measurements between a patient’s baseline scan and subsequent follow-up scans is critical.
Q.Suite is a breakthrough technology that can help clinicians assess cancer treatment response early through the generation of consistent Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) readings. This enables clinicians to assess treatment response more accurately, allowing oncologists to modify treatment strategies without waiting for physical results.
“While the use of PET in therapy assessment is already proven and effective, we believe the consistency of PET measurements can increase dramatically by combining the capabilities of Q.Suite with updated clinical practices,” said Vivek Bhatt, general manager PET, GE Healthcare. “These tools could potentially contribute to personalized oncology care, enabling doctors to assess biological changes in a patient during a course of treatment – allowing them to quickly and accurately modify treatment regimens.”
MD Connect
MD Connect was developed by GE Healthcare to facilitate collaboration between radiation oncologists and the multidisciplinary care team by providing seamless access to a wide breadth of patient information from a multitude of sources in one convenient place. With MD Connect, radiation oncologists have access to a comprehensive suite of oncology applications and patient care tools from virtually any PC anywhere. This innovative thin-client technology was designed to increase productivity through improved workflow, while streamlining radiation therapy planning and oncology care.
MD Connect provides fast access to a comprehensive portfolio of applications including, sophisticated tools for virtual simulation, 3D image fusion and 4D motion management. These tools are designed to transform the complex into routine and the routine into more efficient to improve workflow.
Wide-bore CT & MR Platforms
In CT and MR, GE will be showcasing its wide-bore portfolio which offers precise visualization for accurate tumor targeting, while accommodating the complex patient positioning needs of radiation oncology.
The newest addition to our RT CT portfolio — Discovery* CT590 RT — was designed specifically with treatment planning in mind to help physicians address increasingly specialized imaging needs. For example, the Discovery CT590 RT offers an automated 4D video organ motion recording feature which captures organ movement to better adapt to future radiation therapy treatments. Additionally, innovative patient table design gives radiation oncologists the flexibility and freedom to position patients more precisely in order to achieve desired treatment outcomes.
GE Healthcare’s premium wide bore MR systems deliver the high spatial integrity required for radiation oncology with an expansive 70 cm wide bore and a 50 cm field of view that accommodates imaging out to the edge of the skin. A wide array of fixation devices, including fully flat table tops and specialized coils for radiation therapy, allow for precise patient positioning that can help minimize patient complications and improve treatment outcomes for brain/head & neck, prostate and GYN tumors. Built on a fully redesigned MR platform, these systems feature advance applications for rapid acquisition of high-resolution isotropic MR images, dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging and advanced workflow incorporated into industry-leading treatment simulation and planning software programs.
All of GE’s imaging and software solutions are designed to meet industry standards, making them capable of working effectively and efficiently with systems from all manufacturers. This compatibility facilitates collaboration between radiation oncologists and clinicians across the care continuum for the delivery of optimal patient care.
For more information, visit the GE Healthcare booth (#4036) at ASTRO 2012.
*Trademark General Electric Company
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.
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