Improving Radiotherapy Workflows Using Standard Industry Interfaces

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA), a leading provider of radiation therapy systems for oncology care, and Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany), a world-leading supplier of healthcare solutions, announced that the two companies will work together using industry standard interfaces to connect Varian's Aria oncology information system and Siemens' syngo suite for oncology.

"The Aria system has always promoted an open architecture based on industry standards like DICOM [Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine],” said Corey Zankowski, senior director of product management, DICOM standards that are now used in most hospitals worldwide. "By collaborating to connect our systems using DICOM, Varian and Siemens can better support customers that use technology from both companies, and these customers can take advantage of more integrated workflows and enhanced interoperability with these solutions to adopt modern, advanced clinical methods quickly and efficiently.”

Furthermore, by adopting industry standards for integration, Varian and Siemens customers are able to avoid investing in unnecessary interfaces that require costly additional maintenance and modifications as technologies evolve. Both companies are committed to the goals of the IHE-RO effort (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise-Radiation Oncology), initiated by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Radiological Society of America (RSNA) to standardize the communication between oncology information systems and treatment delivery systems.

While the two companies work toward implementing a DICOM worklist-based communication protocol, Siemens will use Varian's four-dimensional (4D) Integrated Treatment Console interface to connect their own radiotherapy treatment machines, which include the Artiste system, and Oncor and Primus linear accelerators with Aria.

Dow Wilson, president of Varian Medical Systems' Oncology business remarked, "We're pleased about the opportunity to work with Siemens on standardized solutions for integrating information technology in order to promote an open environment that helps to improve the cost efficiency and affordability of cancer care. Ensuring interoperability with our market leading Aria Oncology Information System and Siemens syngo Suite for Oncology, and improving workflow between our systems, will be a great benefit to the oncology community.”

"We need to encourage our industry to move towards the DICOM standard and ensure that DICOM is utilized to its fullest potential,” added Holger Schmidt, CEO, Oncology Care Systems, Siemens Healthcare, "We are happy that both Siemens and Varian are fully committed to implementing the DICOM standard following the IHE-RO workflows. Siemens is very excited to work with Varian on the interoperability between Aria and Siemens' syngo Suite for Oncology and help clinics maximize cost efficiencies.”

Varian Medical Systems is a manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers, and medical oncology practices. Varian is a major supplier of tubes and digital detectors for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies X-ray imaging products for cargo screening and industrial inspection.

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical systems provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is an integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services.

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