Radiosurgery (SRS) and SBRT Novalis Tx Technology

The UCLA Radiosurgery and SBRT Program Has One of the Most Advanced Facilities in the World

Novalis Tx Technology

Novalis Tx is the newest advance in Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). It offers the patient  the most versatile treatment platform available for radiosurgery and  stereotactic body  radiotherapy.  Novalis Tx has "Robotically controlled" treatment table and can perform most Radiosurgery in a frameless mode avoiding the discomfort of the surgical placement of the treatment frame required by other less sophisticated systems.  The Novalis Tx carries out radiosurgery of  cranial lesions as well as  performs extra-cranial treatments to the  spine, lung, liver, pancreas and prostate with accuracy and precision unsurpassed by any other methodology.

To further enhance the technological superiority of this treatment delivery system, the UCLA Novalis Tx is equipped with Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy technology.  RapidArc is the most advanced and most  rapid method to deliver radiation to its intended target. The speed of the UCLA Novalis Tx  system allows for better  precision of the treatment delivery while enhancing patient comfort by decreasing the treatment time.

The UCLA Novalis Tx treatment platform  includes three distinct  imaging/target localization  modalities for pinpointing the tumor/target  and positioning the patient with the highest precision - the On-Board Imaging device (OBI) which allows 3-D cone beam CT visualization of the treatment target, ExacTrac  image-guidance system which provides continual imaging during treatment to detect minute patient  movements which are then  corrected by robotic adjustments in patient positioning in six dimensions, and Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) for precise localization and patient set-up using the treatment beam itself. These methods allow for protection of surrounding healthy tissues while enabling your radiation oncologist and surgeon to precisely concentrate higher, more effective doses to the  tumor or lesion.

Novalis Tx offers treatment options for an  extremely wide range of indications such as malignant and benign lesions in the brain including primary brain tumors, brain metastasis,   arteriovascular malformations, as well as treatment of functional neurological conditions. In addition, Novalis Tx, through its  dynamic ultrafine beam shaping, non-invasive precise frameless patient positioning system, and ultra-rapid treatment delivery, can treatment difficult to treat malignant and benign diseases of the spine, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and prostate.

Novalis Tx offers Robotic control, Frameless non-invasive localization of the target, and  the greatest speed available for  treatment delivery. These features allows for the maximum in precision and highest level of patient comfort.

Novalis Technology

With the installations of the world's first Novalis system for shaped beam radiosurgery in 1997, UCLA continued its pioneering efforts to provide the highest levels of patient care.  Novalis, a dedicated system for non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS and SRT), represents cutting-edge technology for  treatments of the highest precision.  Novalis is equipped with "Novalis Body" software  for image-guided radiotherapy delivery.  Its X-ray-based localization technology allows physicians to localize tumors with sub-millimeter accuracy and to position patients automatically and with the  highest  degree of precision.

Shaped Beam Radiosurgery is the most advanced form of stereotactic radiosurgery. Beam shaping results in a high target conformality (better exclusion of normal tissue conforming the dose only to the intended target) as well as better dose homogeneity (i.e., no "hot  or cold spots" of dose). Novalis produces a sharp radiation dose gradient at the treatment field edges resulting in a highly effective treatment of the  target, while greatly reducing the dose of radiation to the surrounding healthy tissue. This non-invasive treatment can often avoid complications and inconveniences of open surgery.  A treatment with Novalis typically takes less than 30 minutes.

Why is Shaped Beam Radiosurgery Better?  The "old" technology utilizing multiple isocenters (left) spreads more dose to healthy tissues as well as creating hot spots within the target. Hot spots can cause necrosis (death)  of normal tissue  and  other complications.  With shaped beam technology (right), critical structures are better protected from the complications caused by  "hot spots".

More About Novalis Tx Technology

Novalis Tx is a powerful radiosurgery system that offers a versatile combination of advanced technologies for the treatment of tumors and other anatomical targets. With the Novalis Tx radiosurgery platform, facilities can offer state-of-the-art, non-invasive treatment for a wide range of malignancies and other potentially debilitating conditions, without harming nearby healthy tissue and without involving traditional surgery.

Novalis Tx key technological features and benefits

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