June 29, 2022 – Siemens Healthineers and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center announced a new alliance, aimed at advancing personalized medicine and improving access to high quality, cost-effective healthcare. Through the five-year strategic partnership, Siemens Healthineers and Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, will provide comprehensive technology and services that will build on previous successful collaborative projects. The university and medical center will contribute research initiatives from scientists, physicians and patients. This work forms a living lab, a place where early scientific validation will speed breakthroughs in individualized medicine and health care delivery.
The initiative includes an outpatient expansion of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). Outpatient Care West Campus, scheduled to open in 2023, will feature cutting-edge imaging and treatment technology made by Siemens Healthineers, including Varian, which has worked with the OSUCCC – James for nearly a decade. The advanced precision cancer care in this new outpatient center includes proton therapy (ProBeam® 360°) and radiosurgery (Edge® radiosurgery system) as well as oncology focused interventional radiology (Artis Q™ Ceiling). West Campus will build on this technology, including the current treatment planning capabilities (Eclipse™), to offer the most advanced diagnostic and treatment planning tools, including Digital PET (Biograph Vision™ 600) and Dual Source Dual Energy CT (Somatom Drive™ and Somatom Force™). Siemens Healthineers will also bring new technology to Ohio State’s new inpatient hospital, scheduled to open in 2026, and three other outpatient facilities in New Albany, Dublin, and Powell.
This technology investment is another bold step forward in realizing Ohio State‘s vision of a cancer-free world. Working with Siemens Healthineers, including Varian, Ohio State leads the only university-based International Training Center of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Consortium with a training-dedicated linear accelerator and planning environment. The consortium uses big data approaches to advance education, research and patient care at 37 institutions around the world.
Researchers at OSUCCC – James and Siemens Healthineers intend to explore opportunities in intelligent radiation dosimetric contouring algorithms that are uniquely tailored to the individual patient. One potential objective is to create a platform that combines clinical, imaging, pathology and genomic data with artificial intelligence to drive pathways of care in nearly real time, allowing providers and patients to make even more well-informed, evidence-based decisions together.
One of the initial collaborative projects targeting patient access is the co-development of advanced cardiac imaging methods for the Siemens Healthineers Magnetom Free.Max™. The new 80cm bore system offers access to larger and/or claustrophobic patients that previously may not have been able to be scanned. Developing new advanced MRI sequences will expand the system’s capabilities to help even more patients.
The two organizations will also work to advance vascular robotics beginning this summer using the Corindus CorPath® GRX system, with goals of enhancing precision, efficiency, and patient access to highly specialized endovascular procedures.