Related Links

Technology Innovations

Novalis^® Shaped Beam Surgery

Saint Alphonsus offers Novalis® Shaped Beam Surgery as a revolutionary non-invasive treatment option for cancer, benign brain tumors and vascular disorders. This advanced approach to stereotactic radiosurgery and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) furthers the ability of our distinguished team of neurosurgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, physicists and clinical support staff to bring the advanced technology to patient treatment.

Novalis is a state-of-the-art treatment device for patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic radiotherapy or extremely precise IMRT. Stereotactic radiosurgery is applied in a single session with a high dose of radiation. Stereotactic radiotherapy and IMRT are administered in a series of treatment sessions over a specified period of time.

With Novalis, the radiation beams are shaped to match the exact contour of the tumor or lesion so that even tiny, irregularly shaped tumors can be treated very precisely, protecting most of the surrounding healthy tissue. Sophisticated software calculates the ideal access points to the tumor or lesion and defines the treatment plan.

Novalis was first implemented for the treatment of brain tumors, where pinpoint precision is required to focus radiation treatment on tumors or lesions close to critical structures within the brain. Now, experts are taking advantage of the accuracy of Novalis to treat other areas of the body, such as the lung, liver, prostate and spine, to improve and increase the range of a patient's available treatment options.

During treatment, Novalis steadily rotates around the patient's body so that the radiation beams converge on the tumor or lesion from many different angles. While the tumor receives the full dose of radiation, the surrounding healthy tissue receives only a tiny fraction of the total dose, which reduces potential damage to delicate structures such as the brainstem or spinal cord.

Novalis includes a proprietary system, Novalis BodyTM, that ensures patients and tumors are in the exact same position every day. Soon, this system will be able to compensate for inaccuracies related to breathing motion. Novalis communicates directly with operating room guidance systems. So, the same images the neurosurgeons use to guide brain surgery can be directly imported to Novalis for the delivery of radiation therapy.

Back to top