Use and technical features of the device:
From real-time tumour tracking to precise dose distribution, this device offers all the software and hardware functions required by the doctor, the medical physicist and the technician at every stage of the treatment process.
- The device also has a high dose rate setting at two different energy levels, which makes it possible to shorten treatment sessions.
- The high-resolution multileaf collimator, with 120 leaves 2.5 mm wide, directs high-dose beams to the tumour to the millimetre, while protecting healthy tissue with the same precision.
- Thanks to the six-axis positioning offered by the PerfectPitch 6 DoF couch, the radiation is easily directed to the exact point. Linear and angular errors are corrected automatically according to the patient's position. As a result, patients no longer have to wait for long minutes on the treatment couch for adjustments.
- With the Edge system, once the patient's position has been set, a real-time surface tracking system makes it possible to monitor their movements. By comparing the 3D images of the patient's surface defined before treatment with those acquired during treatment, the system known as the Optical Surface Monitoring System (OSMS) tracks any patient movement without using markers. Patient movements exceeding the tolerance threshold can be detected automatically.
- Precise patient positioning and tracking of their movements are essential for correctly treating moving organs. For this purpose, the advanced IGRT system built into the Edge device is used. The dose imaging setting (kV, CBCT and MV imaging) can be adjusted at any stage of treatment. Movements linked to breathing can be tracked during dose delivery.
- During intracranial radiosurgery procedures, HyperArc HDRT makes it possible to deliver non-coplanar beams from multiple points and achieves a significant reduction in dose outside the tumour. The gantry delivering the beams automatically controls the movement of the couch and the rotating head; it helps shorten treatment sessions by eliminating interruptions caused by entering the room.
The Varian Edge is one of the most recent technological products from Varian, combining conventional treatment techniques with more advanced capabilities such as radiosurgery. It is an integrated system bringing together on a single platform all the requirements of clinical stereotactic radiosurgery. All tumours of the head and body can be treated easily with this device.