GE radiation planning software addresses problem of tumor motion

GE Healthcare announced the integration of its Advantage 4D and Advantage SIM technology at last weeks last week's American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Denver, Colo.
   
AdvantageSIM MD is a simulation and localization technology that provides a means for the evaluation of multiple images from multiple modalities. It addresses motion management by integrating 4D data into the planning process, and through its multi-modality/multi-phase simulation its assists in the optimal use of treatment methods, like IMRT and IGRT, GE said.
    
"AdvantageSim MD with 4D provides the first multi-planar motion management software to capture the full range of motion of critical internal structures and lesions during respiration, providing a more accurate description of the target and its trajectory," said Paul Anderson, oncology manager for GE Healthcare.
   
The exclusive AdvantageSim MD multi-dimensional display presents a real-time view of the anatomy in motion giving radiation oncologists the ability to see the true shape of the tumor and critical structures, evaluate its full dynamic range of motion, and select a segment of the respiratory cycle for treatment that will offer the optimal benefit to the patient, according to the company.

"The most exciting product [part of the AdvantageSIM MD family] is multi-modality/multi-phase contouring," said Anderson. He added that doctors are doing more and more contouring and they want to use more and more information. They currently have to do each thing individually such as doing MR, PET, or CT for example, each in a different window. AdvantageSim MD allows for simultaneous contouring of multiple data sets with up to eight view ports on two monitors.

Contours can be imported and superimposed over cine images in multiple planes-simultaneously, making it easier to confirm tumor motion and deformation relative to the Planning Target Volume. The auto-segmentation function automatically delineates critical organs and structures in 3D, improving the speed and accuracy of organ segmentation, for conventional treatment methods as well as newer 4D techniques, according to GE.

AdvantageSIM MD also features an auto-segmentation feature which has the potential to save time. The feature allows users to place the cursor on various elements within an images, it could be the liver or the spine or any number of things, and with the click of a button provides an assortment of contours much more quickly than traditional methods, Anderson said.

GE also provided details for a few works-in-progress such as the next-generation of the LightSpeed series, the Pro 16 RT simulator. It will feature a higher slice count than before, a larger capacity table, a more powerful generator, and new features such as variable speed scanning that optimize imaging into the overall 4D multi-modality/multi-phase planning process. The company expects the Pro 16 RT to be in production by next summer.