Varian Earns FDA Approval for New Radiotherapy Transponder

Varian Medical Systems has won FDA approval for a device that improves the tracking of patient respiration during radiotherapy. The Surface Beacon® Transponder, used with the Varian Calypso system, is placed temporarily on the skin for real-time monitoring of respiration and other patient motion tracking, according to a press release. The device is said to expand the number of cancer sites where the Calypso technology can be used to monitor patients during radiotherapy. “Chest wall monitoring during treatment of the left breast can correlate with the position of the heart,” the release states. “Having a tool to monitor this position in real-time enables clinicians to design treatments that eliminate or significantly reduce dose to the heart.”