Hitachi has secured an order from Tokushukai Medical Group to supply its compact proton therapy system, which will be installed at Shonan Kamakura Advanced Medical Center.
Image: Proton therapy synchrocyclotron in the Jacobson Building, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, the US. Photo: Courtesy of Jonathunder/Wikipedia.org.
Shonan Kamakura Advanced Medical Center is set to be built near Shonan Kamakura General Hospital. This is the first order for Hitachi’s dedicated compact proton therapy system.
Following the expansion of demand for proton therapy system with minimized footprint worldwide, Hitachi has developed dedicated single room proton therapy system (Single Room Solution).
Single Room Solution features optimized system configuration, reducing the footprint to 70% of conventional solution, realizing installation in urban limited areas and contributing to lower the initial cost and shorten the lead time.
Other features include spot scanning technology for treating certain forms of cancer and full rotating gantry with cone beam CT for precise patient positioning, sustaining high performance technologies in minimized footprint.
Tokushukai Medical Group, operating 339 medical facilities in Japan, is planning to build Shonan Kamakura Advanced Medical Center near Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, targeting to complete in September 2020.
Four-story building with one basement floor will be comprehensive center for proton therapy, BNCT (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy), RI (Radioisotope) therapy and drug discovery research and support through the use of PET (Positron Emission Tomography).
Hitachi has been proactively promoting particle therapy business worldwide, supplying world-class facilities around the world with its highly reliable and proven particle therapy systems, which have treated more than 16,000 patients, and integrating Mitsubishi Electric Corporation’s particle therapy system business in June this year.
Under the new organization, Hitachi will provide products and services with higher performance and added value, including Single Room Solution and hybrid system combined with capability of proton and heavy ion therapy.
As Hitachi expands its healthcare business, it will continue to accelerate the globalization of its particle therapy system business and contribute to cancer treatment around the world.
Single Room Solution will be introduced at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting to be held in San Antonio from 21 October.
Overview of Particle Therapy
Particle Therapy is an advanced type of cancer radiotherapy. Protons extracted from hydrogen atoms, or carbon ions are accelerated up to 70% of the speed of light. This energy is concentrated directly on the tumor while minimizing radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue.
Particle therapy improves the quality of life for cancer patients since the patient experiences no pain during treatment and the procedure has very few side effects compared to that of traditional radiotherapy. In most cases, patients can continue with their normal daily activities while undergoing treatment.
Source: Company Press Release