Accuray Incorporated, a radiation oncology company, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Morphormics Inc., a privately held company founded by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty members based on their research in the use of algorithms, to provide three-dimensional visualizations of medical images very quickly, reducing the amount of radiation to patients.

Morphormics develops medical imaging software systems that automatically recognize and extract anatomical structures from medical images. The agreement holds that Accuray will pay approximately $5.7 million.

In 2008, Accuray began licensing Morphormics' technology that “automatically identifies and draws the boundaries of the prostate and surrounding critical structures,” according to the story.  Called autocontouring, this allows treatment planning software to “focus the radiation dose on the prostate and minimize radiation to surrounding critical structures.”

After acquiring Morphormics, Accuray plans to extend autocontouring capabilities for both the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System and the TomoTherapy System to improve disease-specific workflows.

About 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year, and approximately 28,170 men will die of the disease.

The CyberKnife is not actually robotic surgery, but medical imaging that targets cancerous areas with high-dose radiation. 

"Since our licensing agreement with Morphormics began, we have seen firsthand the benefits the company's technology provides clinicians in improving efficiency, especially in the treatment of prostate cancer, and its potential to improve patient outcomes," said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., Accuray president and CEO. "This strategic acquisition is another important step toward providing leading-edge treatment solutions personalized for each cancer patient."

"This is an exciting opportunity for our company that will bring the benefits of our technology to more patients," said Edward Chaney, Ph.D., co-founder of Morphormics and professor of radiation oncology and biomedical engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Accuray's acquisition confirms the value our technology offers in its ability to dramatically increase efficiency and accuracy in the delivery of image-guided medical treatment.”

IBM announced in March a partnership with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to develop a powerful tool to also help improve the ability of healthcare providers to “personalize” treatments to cancer patients’ specific needs.

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