May 7 1999
Veenendaal, 7 May 1999 – Nucletron, the world leader in brachytherapy, is proud to announce the immediate release of PLATO Brachytherapy - Remote Afterloading treatment planning software. The new software package is directly based on Nucletron’s highly acclaimed planning module NPS and BPS. Designed with ease of use in mind, the PLATO Brachytherapy - Remote Afterloading software module is both fast and versatile. The software supports a variety of clinical treatment techniques, including intracavitary, interstitial, intralumenal, surface mould and endovascular brachytherapy. A major advantage of the PLATO treatment planning system, which benefits the whole radiotherapy team including the physicist and physician, is its modularity. The unique user interface that is common to all PLATO modules means that screens across the range look and feel the same. Thus training time for additional modules are minimal and the learning curve steep; important considerations in terms of patient throughput and costs. As Rob van der Laarse PhD, Nucletron’s Scientific Advisor, explains, "Our brachytherapy planning modules provide all the "tools" for simple to complex treatment planning." But modularity isn’t the whole story, with the PLATO treatment planning system our users can be confident that Nucletron’s dedicated brachytherapy research and development team and clinical support staff are there to support them. PLATO Brachytherapy Remote Afterloading software provides true conformal brachytherapy through volume based optimisation. The automatic dose optimisation to the target volume, a unique feature in PLATO Brachytherapy, eliminates the need for extensive isodose curve shaping. The dose is directed to only the volume specified by the physician. The real time interactive 3D visualisation of the target and volumes of interest generates fast and accurate display of the dose to critical organs, i.e. urethra, bladder. This feature not only optimises the isodose distribution but also streamlines the treatment planning process in order to treat the patient safely and effectively. Nucletron, a world leader in radiotherapy systems, specialises in some of the most innovative products used in cancer treatment. The company has 11 sales, service and clinical support offices world-wide, including its corporate headquarters in The Netherlands. The American office, Nucletron Corp., is located in Columbia, MD, to serve the United States, Mexico and Canada. For further information please visit our web site www.nucletron.com or contact our Customer Support Department, e-mail info@nucletron.com.