SkyNewswire.com)---SUNNYVALE, CA & CHAPEL, HILL, N.C. -- Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today that the company is partnering with Morphormics Incorporated, a start-up company out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the development and licensing of autocontouring technology. The technology automatically identifies and draws the boundaries of the prostate and surrounding critical structures, enabling the treatment planning software to focus radiation dose on the prostate and minimize delivering dose to the surrounding critical structures. This partnership reflects Accuray's focus on advanced technologies to improve the treatment of prostate cancer.
Traditionally in radiation oncology treatment planning, a CT scan is acquired and clinicians work slice by slice to contour -- or draw -- the patient's anatomy by hand. This process can be challenging and time consuming because the planning CT image offers poor contrast, making it difficult to distinguish the boundaries between the prostate, bladder and rectum.
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Autocontouring -- also called autosegmentation -- helps clinicians save time and improves the efficiency of their contouring by offering estimated anatomical boundary contours for the prostate and surrounding anatomy that can be matched to the patient's CT scan using corresponding image points.
"We looked at a number of companies and believe Morphormics offers the best technology to help our customers improve their productivity and patient outcomes," said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., president and CEO of Accuray Incorporated. "In keeping with Accuray's mission to provide clinically relevant technologies, this endeavor is another example of our commitment to improving clinicians' ability to treat prostate cancer."
"We are excited to have Accuray as our first customer and look forward to partnering with them to develop our autocontouring technology," said Ed Chaney, founder of Morphormics and professor of Radiation Oncology and Biomedical Engineering at UNC Chapel Hill. "As a medical physicist myself, I recognize the importance of extreme accuracy and precision in cancer care and believe this technology is a significant advancement in prostate cancer planning and workflow."
Accuray will demonstrate the Morphormics prostate autocontouring capability as a technology under development at the company's booth #1701 during the 50th American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting September 21-25, 2008 in Boston.
About the CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the world's only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body non- invasively. Using continual image guidance technology and computer controlled robotic mobility, the CyberKnife System automatically tracks, detects and corrects for tumor and patient movement in real-time throughout the treatment. This enables the CyberKnife System to deliver high-dose radiation with pinpoint precision, which minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and eliminates the need for invasive head or body stabilization frames.
About Accuray
Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global leader in the field of radiosurgery dedicated to providing an improved quality of life and a non-surgical treatment option for those diagnosed with cancer. Accuray develops and markets the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, which extends the benefits of radiosurgery to include extracranial tumors, including those in the spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas. To date, the CyberKnife System has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients worldwide and currently more than 140 systems have been installed in leading hospitals in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.accuray.com
Online Certificates in Nutrition, Fitness, and Health
(OPENPRESS) September 20, 2008 -- These interactive, comprehensive Web-based Certificate programs, several with an optional elective field internship course, are a collaboration between Educational Fitness Solutions, the College-University Partners Network™, industry experts, internship affiliates, a board of advisors, and national organizations. These online programs will allow students from around the world to fit courses into their busy work and home schedules.
The certificates in Nutrition, Fitness, and Health are designed to supply essential educational pathways and career opportunities to those seeking to start a career in the emerging health/fitness industry, those actively involved in the Allied health/medical field and registered dietitians who desire continuing educational units/credits. In addition, those from the surrounding community who want the most up to date information on how to become/stay healthy will benefit from these certificates as well.
Courses are instructor led, and you benefit from ongoing guidance, instruction, and interaction from instructors who hold either a master’s or doctoral degree in exercise physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, physical therapy, nutrition or other exercise science related degrees. The instructors are leading experts, national presenters, and teachers in the health and fitness industry who will support their students and can serve as valuable resources and mentors. The certificate programs are offered three times per year in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, and can be completed in 3 to 6 months, depending on the certificate program. Courses may be taken individually if desired and students have up to 2 years to complete a certificate.
These online program’s will provide advanced education and CECs or CPEUs for group fitness instructors, personal trainers, RD’s, physical therapists, nurses, athletic trainers, and chiropractors seeking recertification or career advancement. In addition, the growth in demand for a qualified fitness professional attests to the fact that this is a valuable, much needed service profession. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau publication Occupational Outlook Handbook, overall employment for fitness professionals is expected to increase 44% from 2002 to 2012.
These programs are offered in partnership with many of the nation’s leading health and fitness organizations. Students graduating from the certificate programs will be eligible to receive educational, membership, and national certification exam opportunities. The following national organizations are partners in these programs: The American Council on Exercise (ACE), Health Club Managers, Inc., Idea Health and Fitness Association, International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), Personal Fitness Professional (PFP), American Senior Fitness Association (SFA), Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program, Women’s Health Foundation, and Healthy Moms.
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