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Cancer: How AI architects are constructing the future of radiotherapy
Cancer: How AI architects are constructing the future of radiotherapy
A quantum leap in cancer treatment? Artificial intelligence (AI) could optimize the planning process for radiation therapy and reduce waiting times for patients from weeks to just hours. Read how concept designer Fernando Vega and team aim to achieve this goal – in part seven of our #Futureshaper series.
Whether waiting for an appointment with a specialist physician, or for medication that you've ordered, or to finally hear your name called in the waiting room: long waits for medical care – or anything, really – are annoying. In some cases, though, waiting can prove life-threatening. This is the case when cancer patients have to wait to begin radiation therapy that they urgently need.
What is radiotherapy?
AI is a tool. If we use it in the right ways, it has the potential to make life easier for all of us. Yet, the changes that it unleashes are rapid and far-reaching. This puts a huge responsibility on us as a medical technology company.
Fernando Vega
Head of Software & Concept Definition Cancer Therapy Imaging
Siemens Healthineers
What is PET-CT?
The merger of Siemens Healthineers and Varian
Become part of the Siemens Healthineers team
Are you also interested in joining our enthusiastic team?
Step 1: The patient consultation
What do radiation oncologists do?
What can an oncology information system do?
Step 2: Imaging for radiation therapy treatment planning
What can an oncology information system do?
Step 3: Preparing the radiation treatment plan
Contouring – a complex step
What do medical physicists do?
- <p>Automated contouring of the OARs is performed with the aid of special software algorithms that are able to automatically identify and segment organs and other anatomical structures captured on the medical scans. This automated contouring can save medical personnel time and improve accuracy. Artificial intelligence can already lend a hand in this field today, for example by means of our software solutions DirectORGANS*, syngo.via RT Image Suite*, and AI-Rad Companion Organs RT*.<br><br><a href="https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/radiotherapy/software-solutions/autocontouring" target="_blank">Read more about automated contouring based on artificial intelligence here</a></p><p><br><em><sub>* The products/features mentioned herein are not commercially available in all countries. Their future availability cannot be guaranteed.</sub></em></p>
Stuck in a holding position
How do you generate a computer model of the human liver?
Senior AI research scientist Chloé Audigier is conducting research aimed at creating a digital twin of the human liver. Such models can help physicians simulate multiple treatment options.
How do you generate a computer model of the human liver?
Senior AI research scientist Chloé Audigier is conducting research aimed at creating a digital twin of the human liver. Such models can help physicians simulate multiple treatment options.
Automated dose calculation
What planning software is already available today?
Step 4: The radiation treatment
What is a linear accelerator (known for short as a LINAC)?
LINACs use electricity to generate, among other things, high-energy X-rays. This radiation can be used for a broad range of purposes. One of the most widely used applications is in the treatment of cancer by killing cancer cells.
CT scanners that adjust to breathing movements
Direct i4D serves to prevent motion artefacts during CT scanning – which enables more precise planning of radiotherapy. Click on the following link to read more about how #Futureshaper Christian Hofmann and his team developed the algorithmic solution for this purpose.
Coming soon: less waiting – thanks to AI?
What is a linear accelerator (known for short as a LINAC)?
High-precision therapy for patients
A big task for a big team
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Are you, too, interested in joining our highly motivated team? Come visit us at the Career Portal of Siemens Healthineers.
- To protect their ideas, Vega and his colleagues work closely with our patent attorneys. In total, he has created more than 50 inventions, many of them in a team with other inventors. These have produced more than 40 granted patents. Yet, what sort of digital solutions, if any, can be protected? An idea has to be new and based on an inventive step in order to be patentable. It must also have a technical effect that goes beyond purely processing data. The task of our patent attorneys is to jointly identify and define, together with the inventors, which technical aspect of the invention makes the whole process faster and more reliable. Siemens Healthineers holds over 900 patent families in the field of machine learning.
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Katja Gäbelein works as an editor in corporate communications at Siemens Healthineers, and specializes in technology and innovation topics. She writes for text and film media.
Assistant editor: Guadalupe Sanchez
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- Disclaimer
- The presented information is based on research results that are not commercially available. Future realization and availability cannot be guaranteed.