Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, Calif, announced on January 15 that FDA has cleared its updated ProBeam proton beam therapy system for marketing in the United States.
According to Varian, the system helps clinicians deliver proton-therapy doses for treating cancer more precisely in order to minimize the dose to healthy tissue. Its scanning beam technology enables intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) by modulating dose levels on a spot-by-spot basis throughout the treatment area. Irradiations from multiple angles are combined to improve control of dose distributions. The technology also eliminates the need to manually insert separate shaping accessories for each beam angle in order to match the beam to the shape of the tumor.
Already installed in one location in Germany, the ProBeam systems are under contract to be installed in four sites in the United States.
