Robo-couch will see you now

A recently purchased robotic couch will help oncologists at Enloe Medical Center better position cancer patients during radiotherapy procedures.

The PerfectPitch couch, designed by Varian Medical Systems, allows radiation therapists to adjust the pitch and roll of the sofa’s surface to more precisely target cancerous tissue with the hospital’s recently acquired TrueBeam linear accelerator, a machine that delivers X-rays to a patient’s tumors while sparing normal tissue cells, according to an Enloe press release.

The additional accuracy provided by the new apparatus will be particularly helpful in treating cancers of the brain, the release noted.

“This accuracy reduces dose to normal tissues and increases dose to the tumor,” said Dr. Erik Stickney, medical director of radiation oncology. “This means [fewer] side-effects and a better chance for a cancer cure.”