Shanghai hospital debuts world's first integrated CT ring linear accelerator

The world's first integrated CT ring linear accelerator was put into clinical use at Shanghai Renji Hospital on Saturday, making a breakthrough in the country's research and clinical application of high-end medical equipment and setting a new benchmark in the field of oncology radiation therapy.

The clinical launch of the device, uLinac HalosTx, represented China's leading research and development capabilities in high-end medical equipment globally, and signified a progress in the country's field of precise cancer treatment, said Xia Qiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Renji Hospital, which is affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

"Focusing on addressing critical clinical needs, the hospital's deep collaboration with Shanghai United Imaging Medical Technology Co Ltd successfully transformed original technology into clinical solutions that enhance public health," he said.

Developed by United Imaging, the device breaks the limits of image-guided technology and achieves real-time monitoring of tumor changes and radiation dosage throughout the entire treatment process, providing comprehensive safety for patients.

Built on a ring architecture and foundational hardware innovations, the device boosts treatment efficiency by 50 percent compared to traditional models. With its groundbreaking online adaptive radiotherapy technology empowered by artificial intelligence, it can complete the entire process from CT image guidance to personalized treatment planning within 20 minutes, according to the hospital.

Bai Yongrui, a doctor at the radiotherapy department of the hospital, said that online adaptive radiotherapy technology serves as the future mainstream direction of precision radiotherapy.

"Such a powerful tool helps enhance target coverage rates and reduce radiation to normal tissues," he said, adding that the device covers a wide range of diseases throughout the body.