MedAustron pioneers software systems for treatment

MedAustron and RaySearch have already been working together successfully for several years; the individual therapy plans for patients have been created with the help of „RayStation“ since the beginning. Already for this system, joint pioneering work was done, since the radiation planning had to be implemented not only for protons, but also for carbon ions. Until now, MedAustron used two additional separate systems to manage patient data and control all processes during treatment – i.e. patient couch, control imaging and accelerator. From now on, all these systems come from a single source: „RayCommand“, the software application for the control of individual radiation fractions, was developed collaboratively and „RayCare“, the electronic patient data and entire medical therapy management, was newly implemented. MedAustron is the first center worldwide in which not only „RayCommand“ but all three RaySearch systems are used integratively.

The connection of all three systems will simplify processes, make them more efficient and facilitate the automatic exchange of data between the applications. This eliminates potential sources of error and thus contributes to patient safety. Particularly in view of the steadily increasing number of treatments, these are important advantages that were one of the decisive factors for the change.

„With a platform for clinically used software systems, we are future-proofed in terms of workflows inside and outside the treatment rooms and also have a competent partner in RaySearch to strive for further improvements in safety, efficiency and productivity while continuing to focus on the best individual treatment for patients,“ comments Markus Stock, Head of Medical Physics , on the successful implementation.

Project leaders Johannes Hopfgartner and Piotr Andrzejewski add: „Together with the development team at RaySearch, we have worked intensively for three years to map MedAustron’s essential clinical requirements in the current versions of RayCommand, RayCare and RayStation, to solve challenges and finally to bring the systems to go-live. Now we look forward to taking the software suite even further together.“

Johan Löf, founder and CEO, RaySearch, says: “We have had a close collaboration with MedAustron for many years and I am proud that this center, at the forefront of proton and carbon ion therapy in the world, has chosen to only use RaySearch software. I am also very pleased with the successful clinical launch of RayCommand and look forward to future collaboration and to continue exploring the possibilities within proton and carbon therapy together with the professional team at MedAustron.”