CyberKnife
A device that zaps cancer tumors with multiple beams of high-energy radiation from virtually any direction will soon provide patients at the VA Medical Center (Houston, Texas) a nonsurgical method for treating cancer.
The CyberKnife can treat tumors anywhere in the body. The VA recently purchased the device and will begin using it to treat intracranial as well as extra cranial tumors, making it the second hospital in Houston to use the technology for oncology and neurosurgical treatment.
The treatment offers new hope to patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may be looking for an alternative to surgery. This technology is revolutionary in the world of stereotactic radio-surgery.
Designed to treat tumors with sub-millimeter accuracy, the CyberKnife tracks the tumor’s position, detects any tumor or patient movement and automatically corrects the treatment delivery. The technology offers unlimited beam positions, which provides access to many tumors that are unreachable by other radio surgery systems.
Expertise! Healthcare Design Resource: Equipment
Click on the link below to see “EXPERTISE! A Healthcare Design Resource” on Specialized Medical Equipment:
PhiloWilke Medical Equipment
Specialty Equipment Experts
Thanks to Walter P Moore for featuring us and M. D. Anderson in their latest article, “Prescribe the Right Structure For Your Healthcare Equipment.”
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is currently constructing its new six-story, 315,000-square-foot Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABIR). The center will house a variety of state-of-the-art imaging equipment-from an MRI unit and a combination positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) unit, to a cyclotron. In collaboration with PhiloWilke Partnership, Walter P Moore took an active role in the early planning stages of this facility and designed a structure that economically satisfies the building’s performance requirements.
The most vibration-sensitive equipment and that requiring heavy shielding will be located on the ground floor to avoid costly elevated structural framing solutions. Initially, the elevated structure was to be designed for 500 mips, which would have meant an architecturally inefficient column layout. In collaboration with the architect, equipment manufacturers, and vibration specialists, we suggested locating vibration-sensitive equipment close to columns and designed the floor framing for 2,000 mips. This resulted in a cost-effective structural system that will allow proper function of the equipment and efficient use of space.
The pictures featured in the article showcase the BrainSUITE – another PhiloWilke project for M. D. Anderson.
One-of-a-kind and First-of-a-kind
PhiloWilke’s innovative approaches to our client’s facilities have resulted in the use of the latest technologies and conveniences while maintaining the options necessary to modify the space as demands evolve. Projects like these demonstrate the extensive experience PhiloWilke has with highly sensitive and specialized equipment at the forefront of modern medicine.
da Vinci Robotics Operating Room – This system provides the surgeon with the intuitive control, range of motion, fine tissue manipulation capability and 3-D visualization characteristic of open surgery, while simultaneously allowing the surgeon to work through small ports of minimally invasive surgery.
BrainSUITE – The BrainSuite at M. D. Anderson is the first functioning one in the United States and the only one in Texas. The BrainSuite’s intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) provides real-time views of the brain right in the operating room, allowing surgeons to remove brain tumors with greater accuracy and the best negative margins currently possible.
Elekta Synergy Triple Energy Linear Accelerator – Pictured above, this is a first-of-its-kind radiation treatment system in Houston. Previously, imaging studies were done days in advance of treatment. This new, state-of-the-art equipment suite combines high-resolution imaging with radiation therapy – allowing the doctor to visualize the body’s internal structures in real-time 3-D during treatment. This capability ensures the radiation is extremely precise and customized to the tumor’s exact shape and location while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue.
Cyber Knife – A device that zaps cancer tumors with multiple beams of high-energy radiation from virtually any direction will soon provide patients at the VA Medical Center a nonsurgical method for treating cancer. The CyberKnife can treat tumors anywhere in the body. The VA recently purchased the device and will begin using it to treat intracranial as well as extra cranial tumors, making it the second hospital in Houston to use the technology for oncology and neurosurgical treatment.
Precision 500D Digital R & F System – The PrecisionTM 500D digital radiography and fluoroscopy (R & F) system delivers premium images automatically. GE Healthcare takes the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle to another level with dose conservation tools. The AutoExTM intelligent dose management system automatically optimizes techniques for clear imaging without overexposure.
