In the US, more than one million patients receive radiation treatment annually. Radiation oncologists and therapists administering radiation treatment face the challenge of accurately treating mobile tumor targets throughout the duration of the session. Working at the forefront of this challenge is Calypso Medical, a start-up medical company dedicated to shaping the future of radiation therapy delivery and management. With working laboratory prototype components, Calypso Medical approached IDEO to create a system that defined an appropriate product architecture, functionality, and design language for the radiation therapy environment.

After observing healthcare professionals and patient treatments, IDEO and Calypso set out to create a highly integrated industrial design that was aesthetically differentiated from other hospital equipment without being imposing to patients or therapists. Additionally, faced with thermal and material challenges posed by the radiation environment, IDEO began looking at ways to create an air-cooled mobile unit that was free of metal parts and could accommodate the rigorous geometric constraints defined by existing treatment delivery systems.

The result is a system that enables clinicians an adjunctive method to measure and monitor organ motion during radiation therapy. The system console features a Kevlar composite electromagnetic transceiver panel manufactured to precise tolerances, with integral air-cooling. A counterbalanced articulating support arm system enables accurate location of the panel above the patient, and a refined medical cart design allows ergonomic use in tight spaces.

Coupled with the advantage of providing the only method for continuous, real-time tumor tracking, the Calypso System does not require expertise in interpreting x-rays, it greatly reduces the time to perform patient setup'a common bottleneck in radiation workflow. Additionally, the design's iconic language ensured a high profile for Calypso Medical's debut product.

Since its launch, the system has been accepted into the world's top cancer treatment centers. Most notably, three times the number of initially projected patients have undergone treatment using the 4D Localization System, demonstrating the patient's willingness to take charge of their own therapy and ask for the product by name.