Tomotherapy Inc. Selects Galil Motion Control's DMC-2153 Controller for Hi-Art® Treatment System
Controller Assists in Targeting Cancerous Tumors with Precision
Rocklin, CA- February 14, 2008-Galil Motion Control's integrated DMC-2153 5-axis controller is now being used in TomoTherapy Incorporated's Hi-Art® treatment system, a focused radiation therapy device that targets cancerous tumors without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. The device results in more effective treatment deliveries, with minimized side effects.
The revolutionary machine, designed to leverage the ring gantry geometry used in CT scanning, integrates optimized planning, image-guidance and helical delivery to provide precise, continuous intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) from all angles around a cancer patient.
Galil's DMC-2153 5-axis controller handles the X-Y-Z motion of the patient couch, which slides into the gantry. Galil's controller places the couch to within +/-1mm accuracy, and TomoTherapy is moving toward sub-millimeter accuracy in future models.
"We considered several motion controllers for the Hi-Art® system and Galil's controller met our requirements for its Ethernet-based control of stepper and servo motors, ability to multitask, SSI feedback capability and robust programming language," said Graham Reitz, TomoTherapy Research Engineer. "It had to be small enough to fit in our very small, allowed space."
The DMC-2153 precisely controls the Z-axis for handling the "Up/Down" motion of the couch. An integrated motor and stepper driver work in concert with the DMC-2153 to control the Y-axis for moving the couch in and out of the bore, and the X-axis for right/left lateral movements. The DMC-2153 controller also accepts two forms of feedback, incremental and SSI absolute, to "double check" and maintain the couch position should there be any disruption due to power loss, and to ensure precise synchronization of the X-Y axis. To accommodate TomoTherapy's needs, Galil customized the controller so it could easily accept all of the SSI devices for feedback.
TomoTherapy has over 150 Hi-Art® treatment systems installed at clinics around the world, treating tumors that result in prostate cancer, lung metastasis, scalp carcinoma, multiple lesions and more.
To watch a video of the TomoTherapy treatment center in action, visit galilinmotion.com/smartMoves.php. For information about Galil contact Lisa Wade, VP-Marketing and Sales, at Galil Motion Control, Inc., 270 Technology Way, Rocklin, CA 95765, Ph. 800-377-6329 or email lisaw@galilmc.com.
About Galil Motion Control, Inc. (www.galilmc.com)
Privately held and profitable for over 87 consecutive quarters, Galil Motion Control, Inc. was founded in 1983 by Jacob Tal and Wayne Baron. Galil became the first company to produce a microprocessor-based servo motor controller without tachometer feedback. Since then, Galil has continued to advance motion control technology and has found industry-leading acceptance with over 500,000 controllers successfully installed worldwide. Various applications include machines for the medical, semiconductor, machine tool, food processing, and textile industries. Recently, Galil has introduced several motion controllers for the Ethernet in addition to the latest generation Accelera controllers designed for ultra high-speed and performance.
