SEATTLE, Dec. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A major factor
limiting the scope of magnetoencephalography (MEG) programs
worldwide has been the cost and availability of the liquid helium
needed to operate these advanced brain mapping systems. With its
zero helium boil-off technology* for Elekta Neuromag TRIUX, Elekta
nearly eliminates the need for liquid helium refills. Elekta (booth
# 519) introduced the helium recycling technology at the American
Epilepsy Society Meeting, December
5-9 (Seattle,
Washington).
"This is a major leap forward in functional brain mapping, as it
dramatically decreases operating costs and does away with the need
for weekly liquid helium refills," says Miikka Putaala, Director
Business Line MEG, Elekta Neuroscience. "With Elekta's zero helium
boil-off technology, over 1,300 gallons [5,000 liters] of liquid
helium can potentially be saved each year on a single system. That
means users of our Elekta Neuromag TRIUX system will be largely
unaffected by liquid helium price increases or shortages."
The cost and availability of helium has soared in recent years
as a result of supply shortages and the privatization of strategic
helium reserves in the United
States, Putaala says. The spot market price of helium has
more than doubled in many countries, including the United States, to well over USD 38 per gallon [3.78 liters] and, at times, as
much as USD 113 per gallon.
"The availability of liquid helium has been unstable in the last
few years as extraction facilities have been out of service due to
maintenance or other reasons," he adds. "The ability to have
integrated helium recycling technology in Elekta Neuromag TRIUX
comes at a critical time, and will enable our clinical and research
users to continue their MEG programs cost-effectively and without
interruptions."
What is MEG?
MEG is based on the detection of very weak magnetic fields that
originate from electrical activity within the brain. MEG functional
mapping is used to evaluate epilepsy and to perform pre-surgical
mapping of visual, auditory, somatosensory, motor cortex and
language functional areas. MEG also has been employed to study the
neural basis of developmental disorders, psychiatric and
neurodegenerative diseases, memory, attention, emotion, language
and social cognition.
*Elekta's zero helium boil-off technology is a
work-in-progress and is not available for sale or distribution in
all countries.
For further information, please contact:
Gert van Santen, Group Vice President Corporate
Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +31 653 561 242, e-mail: gert.vansanten@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Kris Walmsley, Corporate
Communications Manager, Elekta
AB
Tel: +46 70 537 9545, e-mail: kris.walmsley@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant
innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain
disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art
tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy,
radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing
software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the
boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and
resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both health
care providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and
even save patient lives.
Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in
over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,800
employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in
Stockholm, Sweden, and the company
is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm. Website: www.elekta.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elekta-technology-virtually-eliminates-meg-helium-refills-300005129.html
SOURCE Elekta