Brainlab Enables Greater Standardization for Radiotherapy Departments

Brainlab, a digital medical technology company, announced today the launch of ExacTrac Dynamic® Surface*, a new product in the ExacTrac Dynamic® family of radiotherapy patient positioning and monitoring systems that is dedicated to surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT). This single-camera unit solution, that will allow for continuous patient monitoring during breath hold treatments and standardization of the entire radiotherapy department, will be unveiled at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) annual meeting beginning on May 12, 2023, in Vienna. 

ExacTrac Dynamic Surface is the latest in the ExacTrac Dynamic family of products, of which over 200 systems are installed worldwide and feature a thermal-surface camera. The system emits a structured blue light pattern onto the patient surface that is acquired by two 3D cameras housed in the same unit. Each surface point is augmented with a thermal signature, which is registered by the third in-unit camera. 

This thermal information increases accuracy and the single unit design allows the system to constantly track the patient during beam delivery as its view is never blocked by the gantry. Since ExacTrac Dynamic Surface is independent of the X-Ray verification of ExacTrac Dynamic, it is an ideal solution for conventional RT and breathing motion-controlled treatments like breast tumor irradiation. 

“For our breast cancer cases especially, thermal-surface tracking allows us to achieve precise, tattooless patient positioning. Once in position, the tracking that the system provides during breath hold treatments gives us the confidence that the dose was delivered correctly and has spared critical structures like the heart,” commented Steffen Rochor, Head of Physics at Carl-Thiem-Klinikum in Cottbus, Germany.  

The focus of ExacTrac Dynamic Surface is not only on providing tracking accuracy, but also on creating department-wide standardization. With ExacTrac Dynamic Surface on each linac, clinicians can take advantage of a quick learning curve on a common, easy-to-use interface with standardized workflows. A shared server allows patient plans to be moved from one linac to another, saving time and potentially allowing more patients to be treated per day. 

“ExacTrac Dynamic Surface is much more than just surface tracking. This new iteration comes from a depth of knowledge we’ve developed after over thirty years of innovation in the radiotherapy space. We’ve infused that expertise into our integration with Varian and Elekta linear accelerators and extended it to the surface of the patient and beyond”, commented Stefan Vilsmeier, Brainlab President & CEO.

ExacTrac Dynamic Surface is also upgradeable to ExacTrac Dynamic with X-Ray verification for stereotactic radiosurgery and fiducial marker treatments. This enables departments to expand their range of indications to potentially treat even more patients.

*Not yet commercially available