The number of cancer patients is growing worldwide, and cancer is a leading cause of death in Japan. Radiotherapy is a promising treatment, as it can be administered without excising the affected area, thus maintaining or even improving the patient's QOL (quality of life). However, several challenges remain. These include reducing damage to healthy tissue, developing high-precision irradiation technologies, easing preparation procedures, and shortening treatment time. Given that patients travel to the clinic 25 times on average, there is demand to ease the burden of treatment from both social and medical perspectives. Additionally, from a hospital-management perspective, priority is placed on improving devices' operational efficiency, applicability to a diverse range of clinical cases, and throughput.
In response to these challenges, this device offers high-precision, bi-directional X-ray imaging, optimal irradiation angle via dual-axis rotation of the stage and main body, and continuous-irradiation functionality synchronized to breathing and pulsation. This curbs the impact on healthy tissue while shortening treatment time, and expands the scope of irradiation to accommodate a wider range of clinical cases. The control panel's continuous on-screen workflows and operator instructions enhance the reliability and quality of treatment. The design's simple circular forms and color scheme give the device an approachable, unimposing presence, reducing anxiety for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
This product features an unprecedented mechanism combining two axes: a horizontal-rotation axis for the interior of the ring-shaped main body for X-ray imaging and medical X-ray irradiation, and a vertical-rotation axis for the stage. The bed moves along five axes: forward/back, left/right, tilt, and up/down. These features, coupled with motion-tracking functionality that follows the movements of cancerous tissue with the patent's breathing and pulsation, improve treatment precision and shorten treatment time.
The product, which packs cutting-edge technology into an unimposing circular form, struck us as an overall outstanding piece of medical-equipment design.
