San Carlos, California-based medical equipment manufacturer ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc., hopes to revolutionize brain tumor treatments with its ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery® platform in Japan.
The company announced the installation of the technology, which will offer non-invasive treatments for many brain tumors, in the Utsunomiya bullet train station in Japan's Tochigi Prefecture Feb. 1, according to a press release. The site will be operated by the Utsunomiya Neurospine Center Symphony Hospital.
"With an estimated 24-45% of cancer patients developing brain metastases during the course of their disease, ZAP-X now allows us to bring the most advanced SRS (Stereotactic Radiosurgery) technology to a significant patient population - one that continues to grow, particularly as cancer survival rates improve," said Professor Phyo Kim, lead for the ZAP-X program at Utsunomiya Neurospine Center and former chief professor of neurosurgery at Dokkyo University. "By bringing advanced radiosurgery to a convenient and entirely new setting outside of the large urban hospital, we look forward to working with ZAP to make SRS accessible to more patients in more places."
The new Utsunomiya Center will usher in "a new era of patient access and convenience" for local patients and those much further afield to access cost-effective treatment, ZAP Surgical CEO and Founder Dr. John Adler said in the release.
Using a distinctive gyroscopic design, ZAP-X delivers hundreds of uniquely angled ionizing beams to precisely sculpt radiation to the unique contours of the tumor, the release stated. With this unique approach, ZAP-X supports the clinical objective of protecting surrounding healthy brain tissue and patient neuro-cognitive function.
By significantly lowering incidental radiation exposure to the body, as compared to other multi-purpose radiation delivery systems, ZAP-X looks to set new standards in patient safety, the release stated.
The first patient treatments at Utsunomiya Neurospine Center are expected to begin in early 2022, according to the release.