Innovators in proton beam treatment technology celebrate 20 years changing the landscape of the radiation therapy field
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., May 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — No other medical technology company can make the claim they've been solely focused on "Saving Lives with Proton Therapy," for more than 20 years. However, San Bernardino-based Optivus Proton Therapy, Inc. (Optivus) (http://www.optivus.com), a medical device engineering company, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary as pioneers in this high-tech medical technology field, having first launched in 1993.
The 20th Anniversary festivities for Optivus employees and their families will take place on the actual anniversary date of June 1.
"When we started more than 20 years ago, there was an overtone of pessimism in the radiation oncology field about proton beam therapy for the treatment of cancer and other diseases – institutions and radiation oncologists just weren't sure it would ever be profitable or practical," Jon W. Slater, Founder and CEO says. "But proton therapy stood the 'test of time,' and Optivus has come out as a leader within our industry. Our engineering team built the first hospital-based proton treatment center in the world at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, C.A. (LLUMC)."
"The advances Optivus has made working with the physicians, physicists and scientists at LLUMC and other institutions over the last 20 years have resulted in a highly advanced, efficient and safe medical device," said David Lesyna, Vice President of Engineering.
Optivus President David Stokes remarked, "The key to our longevity is in our commitment to providing safe and efficient technology to benefit cancer patients and their families. Our technology at LLUMC has been used to treat more patients for more disease types than any other center of its kind – more than 17,000 patients by early 2013. That's nearly a quarter of all patients treated with protons worldwide. You won't find that with any other proton therapy technology provider."
About Proton Radiation Therapy
Proton radiation therapy is the most accurate form of radiation treatment available today. It is ideal for treating cancers of the prostate, brain, lung, and tumors in children as well as many other conditions. The precision of the proton radiation beam allows few to no side effects as healthy tissue surrounding the disease is spared. Ultimately, this results in a better quality of life for the patient both during and after treatment.
About Optivus Proton Therapy, Inc.
In 1988 Loma Linda University Medical Center in Southern California undertook the challenge of building the world's first hospital-based Proton Beam Cancer Treatment Center under the planned Children's Hospital Wing. The facility would consist of three gantry rooms and two fixed-beam rooms.
In October of 1990, the first treatment room was fully operational and shortly thereafter, the original engineering team, led by Jon W. Slater, was entrusted with the technical enhancement and maintenance of the entire treatment center.
To meet future demands for this life-saving technology, within commercial markets, the engineering team transformed into a commercial business entity in 1993. The company was founded on principals of continuous excellence in design and development of this disease treatment technology.
Optivus' product, the Conforma 3000®, is FDA cleared and in its 7th design generation. It is a synchrotron accelerator based system that is modular and scalable to ensure upgrades and enhancements can be achieved without interrupting patient treatment. With over $150M in upgrades since 1990, (after the first patient was treated on the system,) the Optivus system at LLUMC has remained a leader in cutting edge technology.
Contact:
Lisa Pizzi
Optivus Proton Therapy, Inc.
909-799-8367
Email