Calypso Medical To Showcase Beacon Electromagnetic Transponders At AUA

Calypso Medical Technologies, a developer of real-time localization technology used for the precise tracking of tumor targets, is set to provide onsite physician implant training for its miniature Beacon electromagnetic transponders at the American Urological Association’s Annual Meeting (AUA).

The Calypso System, with its GPS for the Body technology, utilises implanted Beacon transponders to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor during external beam radiation therapy. Any movement by the patient, including internal movement of the tumor, may cause the radiation to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue.

Calypso Medical Technologies said that the real-time position information provided by the Calypso System allows physicians to deliver maximum radiation directly to the tumor while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues and organs from exposure.

In contrast to other guidance techniques, Calypso’s electromagnetic technology is the non-ionizing guidance solution to keep the treatment precisely focused on the prostate or post-operative prostatic bed without adding unnecessary radiation.

Currently the Calypso System is cleared by the FDA for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and prostatic bed; however, the technology is designed for body-wide applications.

Garo Gholdoian of Urology Nevada in Reno, Nevada, said: “For prostate cancer patients who make the decision to undergo radiation therapy, the Calypso System allows physicians to deliver the highest level of patient care. By implanting Beacon transponders, I’m helping to ensure that radiation is delivered more accurately to the tumor and that surrounding healthy tissue is spared.”

Richard Harris of UroPartners at Glenview, said: “Calypso is a technological advance that allows us to get better treatment outcomes and to give a better result with less toxicity. Quality of care is of the utmost importance and whatever technologies we can embrace to help bring about that quality of care is something exciting for us and good for our patients.”