Varian Medical Systems Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for Use of Transponder to Monitor Motion During Radiotherapy Anywhere in Body

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a surface beacon transponder to be used with the Varian Calypso system as a real-time tracking device capable of monitoring motion during radiotherapy treatments for indications anywhere in the body. The Surface Beacon® Transponder is placed temporarily on the skin for real time tracking of respiratory and other patient motion during radiotherapy, thereby greatly expanding the number of cancer sites for which the Calypso technology can be used.

"Our new surface transponder allows users to track patient motion in real-time during treatment," says Chris Toth, vice president of marketing for Varian's Oncology Systems group. "It can be placed on a patient's chest wall to monitor respiratory motion during radiotherapy. It is designed to improve targeting in some of the most prevalent types of cancer, including breast cancer."

For example, chest wall monitoring during treatment of the left breast can correlate with the position of the heart. Having a tool to monitor this position in real-time enables clinicians to design treatments that eliminate or significantly reduce dose to the heart. Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in the U.S. – an estimated 30 percent* of women will develop breast cancer over their lifetime.

source: Varian Medical