TomoTherapy received FDA 501(k) clearence for its TomoDirect

TomoTherapy Incorporated announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its TomoDirect™ radiation therapy technology. TomoDirect is an innovative new discrete-angle, sliding-beam delivery mode for the Hi·Art® treatment system. With this capability, clinicians gain an efficient complement to helical TomoTherapySM, one that enables fast treatment planning and delivery, while broadening the spectrum of patients that can be optimally treated with the industry’s most advanced platform for cancer care.

Fred Robertson, CEO of TomoTherapy said, This is a major milestone for TomoTherapy and, in turn, for cancer centers of all sizes,” said Fred Robertson, CEO of TomoTherapy. TomoDirect significantly improves the throughput of our system, and widens the TomoTherapy treatment options available for clinical use. Now, more cancer patients can benefit from true, next-generation treatment technology.

TomoDirect was developed as a complement to helical TomoTherapy, with both modes utilizing the same binary multi-leaf collimator and CT-style gantry technology, and sharing a simple, consistent treatment planning and delivery process. The choice of which modality to use for a given case will depend on the nature of the tumor volume and surrounding organs at risk. TomoDirect allows clinicians to choose several discrete angles as well as the optimal modulation level required for delivery. It is expected to provide significant time savings in both the planning and delivery phases for several clinical scenarios, including whole breast irradiation and palliative treatments.