CONCORD, Calif. and SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc. (Calypso Medical) and Siemens Healthcare today announced a product collaboration agreement that will begin to integrate Calypso Medical’s real-time tumor tracking data with Siemens’ linear accelerator products. The first application to be addressed under this agreement will include adaptive gating, the capability of automatically interrupting the radiation beam from a linear accelerator in response to patient motion, organ motion or tumor position.
Calypso Medical’s GPS for the Body® technology uses tiny electromagnetic transponders placed in or around the tumor to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor at all times during external beam radiation therapy. This real-time information is critical in cases where the tumor may move due to normal physiological processes or if the patient moves during treatment. These types of movement may cause the radiation to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue. In contrast to other tumor targeting solutions, Calypso’s GPS for the Body® technology provides continuous tumor position information, thereby optimizing the delivery of radiation to the tumor and minimizing misapplied radiation to normal tissue.
Says Holger Schmidt, CEO of Siemens Healthcare, Oncology Care Systems: “We are pleased to work with an innovative company like Calypso Medical. The adaptive gating capability will allow Siemens customers to set treatment parameters in advance and have the confidence that the beam will be turned off automatically if the target moves out of alignment with the radiation beam. Our product development collaboration has the potential to further differentiate Siemens’ linear accelerator platforms, such as ARTISTE™. This agreement further reinforces Siemens’ continued commitment to helping clinicians achieve optimum patient care and more efficient delivery of radiation therapy.”
Eric Meier, President and CEO of Calypso Medical notes: “Having a company with the presence and credibility of Siemens as a development partner is an honor. We see enormous opportunities to develop products that will benefit patients whose tumors reside in organs naturally susceptible to organ motion. Today, this includes patients with prostate cancer. In the future, this may also apply to patients with other cancers, such as those affected by respiratory motion. Currently, Calypso provides the only means for knowing the exact location of an individual’s tumor in real time.”
To date, Calypso Medical’s GPS for the Body® system has been installed in over 50 leading radiation oncology centers across the United States, with more than 2,000 patients implanted with Calypso transponders.
About Calypso® Medical
Calypso® Medical Technologies, Inc. (“Calypso”) is a Seattle, WA-based privately held medical device company. The Company’s proprietary tumor localization system utilizes miniaturized implanted devices (Beacon® electromagnetic transponders) to continuously, accurately, and objectively pinpoint and track the location of tumors for improved accuracy and management of radiation therapy delivery. Calypso addresses two major issues in modern radiation oncology: errors in treatment set-up and tumor motion management during treatment. In addition, the Calypso® 4D Localization System’s non-ionizing electromagnetic guidance has been found to improve workflow efficiency and treatment room utilization. The technology is designed for body-wide cancers commonly treated with radiation therapy, including prostate, breast, lung, head, neck and other radiation therapy target organs. The products are FDA 510(k) cleared for use in the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed.
About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care – from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2007 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of €9.85 billion, orders of €10.27 billion, and group profit of €1.32 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.com/healthcare.
Contact:
Calypso Medical Lynn Purdy, 206-774-4213 lpurdy@calypsomedical.com
Source: Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc.
