The 2008 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting featured the unveiling of the TargetScan Touch(TM), a system that many leading radiation oncologists are using to deliver radioactive seed therapy in the prostate.

The innovative technology is based on a motionless probe, which stabilizes the prostate during procedures and has been tested at several of the nation's leading medical centers, including Emory University School of Medicine. With the gland stabilized, physicians use a touch-screen interface and 3-D ultrasound images to map and confirm placement of radiation.

"Current prostate diagnostic tools are inadequate. With TargetScan, we anticipate improved cancer detection and treatment deliveries," said Robert Mills, President Envisioneering Medical Technologies, on the company's website. "Traditional hand-manipulated devices allow the prostate gland to shift, which impedes placement accuracy. By stabilizing the prostate, physicians can now implant seeds to any and every region of the gland with greater confidence."
Launched last month, the system will initially be in clinical use at Emory, Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, University of Florida and New Hanover Radiation Oncology.

"This technology delivers two important benefits. First, a stabilized prostate; second, the ability to quickly and efficiently image anywhere in the prostate with the point and click function for accurate positioning of radioactivity," Peter Rossi, M.D., Emory's assistant professor in the departments of radiation oncology and urology, told Medical News Today. "TargetScan has a short learning curve for my residents and physicists and has demonstrated its value in that we have consistently achieved quality implants with its help."

"The system is based on the TargetScan® technology platform developed by Envisioneering Medical Technologies in St. Louis, under the guidance of physicians at Washington University," said Robert Mills, president, Envisioneering Medical Technologies.

Other system features include intuitive imaging and navigational controls and a compact, streamlined system design to enhance treatment efficiency, improve the patient experience and provide ease of transport for physicians managing multiple practice locations.

Envisioneering Medical Technologies, based in St. Louis, MO, is dedicated to creating the standard for prostate cancer care by developing technology for improving prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment precision and effectively managing patients throughout the continuum of care. For more information please visit http://www.envisioneeringmedical.com.

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