Hitachi to Install New Proton Beam Therapy System in Spain

TOKYO, Dec 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to provide Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CUN) with its proton beam therapy (PBT) system. The agreement includes PBT system maintenance following completion of the systems' installation.

The PBT System will be installed at CUN's facility in Madrid, Spain and is equipped with state of the art technology including spot scanning capability(*) for treating certain forms of cancer. The System includes a compact synchrotron accelerator, full rotating gantry with cone beam CT and the option to add an additional gantry treatment room in the future. PBT patient treatment using the new system is expected to start at the hospital in the spring of 2020.

PBT is an advanced type of cancer radiotherapy. Protons, the atomic nucleus of hydrogen, are accelerated at high speed and its energy is concentrated on the tumours. PBT improves the quality of life for cancer patients since patients experience no pain during treatment and the procedure has fewer impacts on bodily functions. In most cases, patients can continue with their normal daily activities while undergoing treatment.

(*) Spot scanning technology became feasible by advancing the uniform quality beam extraction technology from the accelerator and beam control technology with high accuracy, which includes three primary benefits: (1) more accurate irradiation which can reduce the side effects to the healthy tissues surrounding the tumour compared with conventional double scattering irradiation; (2) patient-specific collimators and boluses are not necessary; and (3) proton beam usage factor is high, reducing unnecessary secondary radiation.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.

Source: Hitachi, Ltd.

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