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Varian Medical Systems Introduces the ARIA(TM) Oncology Information System for Operating Paperless and Filmless Cancer Clinics

Posted on: Monday, 17 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

DENVER, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Varian Medical Systems, Inc. has introduced the ARIA(TM) Oncology Information Management System, a comprehensive real-time management system and database product for operating filmless and paperless cancer clinics that offer radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or surgery. This software product integrates rapid image processing and treatment machine controls for all types of radiotherapy, including advanced forms of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

ARIA can be utilized to manage comprehensive cancer treatment centers as well as stand-alone radiation oncology or medical oncology departments in hospitals and clinics. It incorporates a robust set of medical oncology tools for managing chemotherapy treatment regimens. And it is the first and only product of its kind that supports all forms of radiotherapy, including fully- automated IGRT and dynamic adaptive radiotherapy (DART(TM))-an emerging approach for more personalized cancer care that involves using daily image data to adapt a patient's treatment based on constantly-evolving information about changes in tumor shape, size, and position.

"ARIA is our most comprehensive software solution to date for managing advanced clinical, administrative, and financial processes in a completely paperless environment," said Dow Wilson, president of Varian's Oncology Systems business. "It interconnects all clinical functions and radiotherapy devices, and provides clinical staff members with up-to-the-minute information whenever and wherever they need it within the department, so they can make sound clinical decisions quickly at every point in a patient's course of treatment."

ARIA FUNCTIONALITY

ARIA features intuitive administrative tools for scheduling, charting, capturing charges, billing, and reporting. In addition, it incorporates these new capabilities:

* Offline Review(TM)-pending FDA 510(k) clearance-is a unique tool, unavailable in competitive systems, that enables clinicians to review and approve-offline, anywhere, at any time-the images that are generated by an On-Board Imager device. This tool was designed to expedite deployment of advanced forms of image-guided radiotherapy by making it possible for physicians to work with image data anywhere they have a connection to the department network. * Chart QA(TM) enables physicists to review a patient's charts, check the treatment history and monitor the patient's continuing course of treatment. * Long-Term Archive(TM) automatically extracts "inactive" patient data from the database for storage. Stored information and images can be easily retrieved as needed. * Report Manager(TM) enables users to modify ready-made report templates and then embed those personalized reports into other ARIA applications. * Data Segmentation(TM) manages information at sites that have more than one physical department or location. Procedure codes, cost/charge details and other information can be customized to reflect local requirements. * Outlook(R) Sync(TM) allows users to synchronize appointments and tasks with a Microsoft(R) Outlook calendar and download the information to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. * Trial Administrator manages the overall administrative needs of a clinical research office for trial activation, clinical monitoring and closure of research.

"Varian Medical Systems has been honing its information management solution for more than a decade," says Wilson. "ARIA represents the apex of those efforts. It incorporates capabilities that are not available in competing systems, such as streamlined review of 2D and 3D images for rapid treatment plan adaptation, extensive and flexible HL7 and DICOM connectivity, an extremely robust medical oncology module, and clinical trial administration. ARIA is part of our ongoing commitment to making higher standards of cancer care available to more patients around the world." ARIA is an open architecture product that supports multi-vendor clinics. It can easily share information with other Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), while enabling treatment centers to comply fully with patient privacy regulations.

ABOUT VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's leading manufacturer of integrated cancer therapy systems, which are treating thousands of patients per day. The company is also a premier supplier of X- ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 3,500 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 56 sales and support offices around the world. Additional information is available on the company's web site at http://www.varian.com/.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this press release regarding future business, events, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and other similar matters constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, the risks described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

ASTRO BOOTH #614 FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Sias, (650) 424-5782 spencer.sias@varian.com Meryl Ginsberg, (650) 424-6444 meryl.ginsberg@varian.com

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Contact: Spencer Sias, +1-650-424-5782, spencer.sias@varian.com, orMeryl Ginsberg, +1-650-424-6444, meryl.ginsberg@varian.com, both for VarianMedical Systems, Inc.

Web site: http://www.varian.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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