With the RT Pro edition - as well as the other imaging solutions for radiotherapy that will be exhibited in Geneva - and as part of the company's "Agenda 2013" sector initiative, Siemens Healthcare once again proves its role as a strong partner for imaging systems in radiation oncology. Siemens and Varian Medical Systems will also be introducing new software interfaces that connect Siemens' Primus and Oncor linear accelerators with Varian's ARIA oncology information system - the first fruits of the joint development work within the framework of the strategic partnership between the two companies.

Radiation therapy requires high-quality diagnostic images for exact treatment planning and thus for the successful treatment of cancer. This involves more than just determining the precise location of the tumor. To accurately calculate the radiation dose for radiation therapy, it must be possible to see the outer contours of the patient even when they lie outside the normal scan field of view (FoV) - for example, in the case of obese patients. The HD FoV Pro functionality of the Somatom Definition AS Open - RT Pro edition uses advanced algorithms to intelligently calculate body contours and tissue attenuation outside the normal scan field. The result is an improved, geometrically correct depiction of the body contours and a consistent image of tissue density inside and outside the FoV. This provides radiation therapy staff with informative images for planning treatment even in the case of obese patients.

For the many patients with metal implants - artificial hips, dental fillings, and pacemakers - artifacts appear in the clinical images and this interferes with the visualization of tumors and surrounding organs. With the aid of the Maris (Metal Artifact Reduction in Image Space) functionality, these artifacts are reduced, thereby improving the localization and contouring of tissue structures and streamlining the treatment planning process.

Breathing usually alters the position of the tissue structures to be treated, making it more difficult to define the volume of the tumor to be irradiated and to protect the surrounding healthy tissues. With the Motion Management Pro module of Somatom Definition AS Open – RT Pro edition, Siemens offers a comprehensive solution for analyzing tumor motion during the breathing cycle. When planning treatment for lung cancer, for example, this makes possible to irradiate the right target volume, at the right time within the breathing cycle, and with the correct dose.

With the RT Pro edition, Siemens is also making the benefits of dual-energy CT imaging available to computed tomography systems with the extra-large 80 cm gantry. Dual-energy CT imaging performs two sequential spiral scans at different energy levels and then combines them in a single dataset during post-processing. The dual-energy images can be used to reduce metal artifacts or accurately assess tissue density - and thus to calculate the optimal dose. This is what makes the Somatom Definition AS Open - RT Pro edition the comprehensive, future-oriented CT system for radiotherapy. Siemens plans to deliver new RT Pro edition systems at the end of April. An upgrade for the installed base will be available as of mid-May.

Connectivity with Varian's ARIA oncology information system
As part of their worldwide partnership in radiotherapy and radio surgery, Varian Medical Systems and Siemens Healthcare have jointly developed software interfaces that connect the Siemens linear accelerator (Linac) with Varian's ARIA oncology information system. This enables users of Siemens Linacs Primus and Oncor to connect their systems to ARIA, thereby giving them the option to transition to this modern and feature-rich OIS when it is time to update equipment in the department.

Launched in November 2011, Agenda 2013 is an initiative of the Siemens Healthcare Sector to further strengthen its innovative power and competitiveness. Specific measures, which will be implemented by the end of 2013, have been defined in four fields of action: innovation, competitiveness, regional footprint, and people development.

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About Siemens Healthcare Sector
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source - from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 51,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2012 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 13.6 billion euros and profit of 1.8 billion euros.