Originally Published MX May/June 2005

BUSINESS PLANNING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

For medical device manufacturers whose primary products involve an installed instrument base, uptime is everything. Few occurrences are more likely to undermine customer loyalty than having a vital piece of equipment stop functioning just when it is needed most. Fortunately, the adoption of advanced information technologies is making it possible for many medical device manufacturers to improve reliability while also keeping maintenance costs within reach.

The Trilogy system by Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA) is the first image-guided radiation therapy system optimized for both conventional and stereotactic approaches to treating cancer. The system can be used to deliver 3-D conformal radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy, and intensity-modulated radiosurgery for cancer and neurosurgical treatment. The system incorporates Axeda's DRM software to permit remote monitoring of instrument performance. (click to enlarge)