STOCKHOLM, July 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK based developer of next generation proton therapy technology, Advanced Oncotherapy plc (AVO), has selected RayStation as its treatment planning system for the first LIGHT (Linac Image Guided Hadron Technology) system at the proton therapy facility under construction at Harley Street in central London. Users at the clinic will have access to the full spectrum of RayStation's functionality.

AVO and RaySearch have entered into a collaboration agreement to support the LIGHT system fully. The LIGHT system is a modular proton therapy system based on innovative technology, developed in a collaboration between the TERA project and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The heart of the system consists of a treatment room integrated with a linear accelerator, which accelerates protons to energies suitable for radiation therapy of cancer. The entire system is designed for cost effectiveness and low maintenance and has several key features, such as multiple spot sizes and fast energy switching time.

The order of RayStation for Harley street gives the users access to the full spectrum of RayStation's functionality, including the fast proton Monte Carlo dose engine, robust 4D optimization, LET driven optimization, deformable registration, dose accumulation, plan adaptation, multi-criteria optimization and Plan Explorer for automatic plan generation.
Nicolas Serandour, AVO Chief Executive Officer, says: "We are thrilled to collaborate with RaySearch. RaySearch has established themselves as the technology of choice for light ion therapy treatment planning. As we bring our advanced particle therapy treatment technology into the field, it makes sense to have the most advanced treatment planning capability to complement it. We believe the synergetic combination is significant for optimizing patient care at our first proton therapy center in the renowned medical practice area of Harley Street, London."

Dr Jonathan Farr, AVO's Director of Medical Physics, says "Our linac based LIGHT system includes many special features requiring new treatment planning development and customization. RaySearch is uniquely poised to perform this and intends to deliver updates to their RayStation product supporting LIGHT advanced capabilities – thereby extending the accuracy and versatility of proton therapy."

Johan Löf, CEO RaySearch, says: "AVO's LIGHT system is a state-of-the-art solution for proton therapy, and we are very pleased that the RayStation treatment planning system was chosen by AVO. The LIGHT system has several advanced capabilities and RayStation will fully support this groundbreaking innovation. This new collaboration is in line with RaySearch's ambition to provide full planning support for most treatment delivery machines on the market. The possibility to plan all types of radiation treatments on one common platform allows clinicians to select the optimal treatment machine and delivery technique for every patient, which in turn leads to better treatment quality and more effective use of available resources."

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