AIO Solution 3.0 Advances Patient Comfort at the Institut Jules Bordet

All-in-One Modular System for Immobilization & Positioning

Supporting patient comfort throughout the entire cancer treatment process is an important part of delivering high-quality patient care. In radiation therapy specifically, where precision is paramount, the stability of patients during treatment is also a vital consideration. Standard immobilization systems may not always deliver the highest level of patient comfort, which can cause anxiety and discomfort for patients.

The challenge for clinical teams is to effectively immobilize patients while maintaining patient comfort. The key is to strike a balance that helps put patients at ease, so they can be immobilized conveniently and receive the most effective treatment possible.

The Institut Jules Bordet has achieved this harmony using the advanced AIO Solution 3.0.

 

About Institut Jules Bordet

The Institut Jules Bordet is the only hospital in Belgium that is dedicated solely to cancer. For more than 75 years, the organization has engaged in a multidisciplinary approach to cancer prevention, screening, and treatment with oncologists, surgeons, radiotherapists, and other medical specialists collaborating on decisions using the most advanced techniques.

Associated with the Université Libre de Bruxelles, the Institut Jules Bordet integrates research in its practice. This allows patients to benefit from new discoveries and participate in clinical research programs. In addition, the Institut Jules Bordet is a renowned teaching hospital, training dozens of health care students and doctors each year.

 

The AIO Solution 3.0 at Institut Jules Bordet

The hospital treats an average of 28 patients each day using Elekta Harmony and Infinity linear accelerators. They began using Orfit’s AIO Solution 3.0 in April 2021.

Prior to implementing the AIO solution, the radiotherapy team used a wide range of immobilization equipment, which varied frequently, based on the localization and treatment plan. Because patients had been complaining about having discomfort associated with other materials being too hard, the clinical team began looking for a better way.

Due to these concerns, the team at the Institut Jules Bordet wanted to find an integrated solution that was designed first and foremost for patient comfort. Standard immobilization systems can be cumbersome and difficult to adjust quickly. In addition to the comfort aspect, the radiation therapists wanted the replacement to be:

–  Easily adaptable to various patient sizes and types of treatments;
–  Easy to clean;
–  Fast to set up.

When they evaluated and tried the AIO Solution 3.0 on themselves and their patients, they discovered that it was not only comfortable but also made with high-quality materials.

 

Testimonial: User Experience of the AIO Solution 3.0

Dirk Van Gestel, MD, Ph.D., head of the Department of Radiation-Oncology at the Institut Jules Bordet, explained: “Because we are a busy clinic trying to provide the best patient care possible, it’s important that our radiation therapists can set up patients accurately and quickly, with reproducibility and comfort. With the Orfit AIO Solution 3.0, the indexing is intuitive and the components are highly adaptable, which makes the system really versatile. We have even had patients comment positively about the level of comfort.”

Filipa Sousa, the RTT responsible for research and development at the Institut Jules Bordet, described how the team has observed repeatedly how important patient comfort is to accuracy: “When the patients are uncomfortable, they tend to readjust their position and this is not desired, especially for small localizations.” She continued, “If we compare with what we had before, when we had several different immobilization devices for different types of treatments, we may conclude that the most valuable benefit with Orfit’s solution is that we can treat with the same accessories for almost all of our treatment localizations. The cushions are really soft and the components are also easy to clean and easy to adjust.”

 

How the AIO Solution 3.0 Works

The AIO Solution 3.0 uses one base plate and different sets of cushions and thermoplastic masks to position and immobilize the body comfortably, in an exact and reproducible way. By minimizing the possibility of changes in patient positioning, AIO facilitates and refines treatment, helping to enable greater treatment success.

Easy to use, the AIO Solution 3.0 is entirely modular and can be tailored to meet a center’s specific requirements for patient positioning and immobilization, supporting treatment for all indications. The components are ultra-lightweight and easy to manipulate with simple, intuitive indexing that helps ensure greater precision and safety. The system is easy to configure, break down, and clean, which also helps maximize efficiency and throughput.

A specially designed storage cabinet includes storage slots for all the components, so it is easier to keep treatment areas tidy and move base plates, head supports, cushions, and accessories to other rooms as needed. As Sousa concluded, “It’s easy to store away at the end of the day because it is not heavy, and you can transport it quite easily. We have been using it for more than one year now and it has simplified our workflow while also improving patient care.”

 

Learn more about the AIO Solution 3.0 in this overview video:

 

 

Download the PDF version of this article.

 

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