Treatment precision in every pixel

Business context

In 2014, the National Centre for Nuclear Research entrusted us with developing an application for managing the Photon Needle system, enabling the precise use of X-ray radiation in oncology procedures. The goal was not only to deliver a working clinical solution, but also to demonstrate expertise in combining science, digital products and medicine.

The project aligned with the broader trend of convergence between digital technologies and scientific research in healthcare, aimed at improving the accuracy, safety and effectiveness of therapy. The Photon Needle application provided an opportunity to translate advanced research solutions into a practical, everyday tool for radiotherapists — with an emphasis on usability, process repeatability and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Even at the testing stage, the solution attracted interest from public and private entities across the EU, and NCBJ recognised the potential to expand Photon Needle into other projects and create synergies with cancer treatment technologies in Switzerland.

Challenge

The key challenge was seamless integration with the Photon Needle Control System while strictly adhering to the radiation safety rules and standards defined by the client. At the same time, the interface had to remain intuitive and support doctors and medical physicists working under time pressure.

It was essential to ensure reliable processing of patient data and therapy parameters, dependable pre-procedure verification, monitoring of the irradiation process during treatment, and complete, auditable documentation after the procedure was completed. All of this had to function within a stable, responsive working environment that minimised the risk of human error.

Solution

We built the application in .NET, using the Windows Presentation Foundation graphics engine and a local database in .SQLite format. The architecture was designed for reliability and clarity of critical workflows in clinical settings.

The system enables easy entry, editing, import and secure storage of patient data, verification of patient data and radiotherapy parameters, checking the generator status before the procedure, and real-time monitoring of the irradiation process. After the procedure, the application records all irradiation processes and generates structured reports in PDF format.

In addition, the solution supports generator test monitoring and the creation of PDF test reports, as well as the generation of detailed statistics for analysis and quality assurance purposes. Effectiveness confirmed in testing translated into interest from multiple healthcare organisations across the EU, and the client considered implementing Photon Needle in other initiatives and integrating it with oncology technologies in Switzerland; the project strengthened our expertise in precision, usability and compliance with safety standards.