Elekta's Versa HD System Now Features Automated Breath Hold Gating for Improved Breast and Lung Radiotherapy

- New release of Active Breathing Coordinator receives CE marking and 510(k) clearance

CRAWLEY, England, Aug. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Users of Elekta's groundbreaking linear accelerator, Versa HD™, can now bring target immobilization to new levels through automated gating with Active Breathing Coordinator™. For anatomies affected by respiratory motion, such as lung, liver and breast, Active Breathing Coordinator provides non-invasive, internal immobilization of the target, triggering radiation delivery when anatomy is immobilized.

Automated gating with Active Breathing Coordinator recently received CE marking from the European Union and 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and in combination with Elekta's Response™ gating interface, provides additional benefits to both the Versa HD clinically-tailored solutions for treating breast and lung cancers.

Active Breathing Coordinator helps patients pause their breathing at a precisely indicated tidal volume – a deep-inspiration breath-hold – which increases the distance between the tumor and critical structures, resulting in the ability to reduce doses to the critical structures.

By consistently immobilizing the target in an identifiable, repeatable and stationary position, clinicians are better able to reduce tumor margins and implement dose escalation and hypofractionation strategies, such as Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). Automated beam delivery increases clinical confidence and efficiency, in addition to reducing treatment times over manual techniques.

"We use Active Breathing Coordinator for lung and liver cancer treatments, and in combination with High Dose Rate mode that is now available with Versa HD, we are able to deliver breath-hold gated SBRT treatments with IGRT in a standard treatment time slot of 15 minutes," says Prof. Frank Lohr, Vice Chairman, University Medical Centre Mannheim. 

Versa HD is a sophisticated radiation treatment delivery system designed to enhance the management of cancer care and treat a broad spectrum of tumors throughout the body. The market's most advanced linear accelerator, Versa HD is a single system capable of delivering conventional therapies for indications commonly seen in the clinic, while also permitting treatment of complex cancers that require exceptional targeting accuracy.

Versa HD and Active Breathing Coordinator with automated gating are not available for sale in all markets.

For further information, please contact:
Johan Andersson, Director, Investor Relations, Elekta AB
Tel: +46-702-100-451, email: johan.andersson@elekta.com  
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Public Relations and Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1-770-670-2447, email: michelle.joiner@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: www.elekta.com.