Wijnegem, April 25, 2023 – Orfit Industries, Belgian family-owned company and developer of medical devices, has won a Red Dot Product Design Award 2023 for their Aerial Couch Top, an innovative, virtually self-supporting treatment table for use in radiotherapy. This cutting-edge product innovation optimizes the impact of radiation during cancer treatment. The Red Dot Design Award looks back on a history of more than 60 years and has become one of the most coveted seals of quality design internationally. This industry recognition validates the family company’s choice to focus fully on research and development.
Radiation technology of the future
Orfit Industries has a leading position worldwide in the development, production and sale of thermoplastics for orthopedics, physical rehabilitation and radiotherapy. Research & development is an important cornerstone in the company’s strategy. In radiotherapy, malignant cells are irradiated with high energy causing them to die. During these sessions, it’s very important that the patient lies in the same place every time and cannot move. Orfit’s immobilization systems ensure the correct position and limit movement to less than 1 millimeter.
An advanced treatment technique is proton therapy. This method requires a large investment in setting up the treatment center, but has significant advantages. For example, the healthy tissue that lies behind the tumor can be spared as much as possible, reducing the overall radiation load when treated with protons. Orfit Industries’ Aerial Couch Top optimizes the impact of the proton dose. The couch top is virtually self-supporting and is not supported by rails or other obstacles. This results in a homogeneous and uniform treatment area, an aspect that is extremely important in proton irradiation.
“With the Aerial Couch Top, we want to help build the radiotherapy of the future. Although proton therapy requires a relatively large investment, much research is being done on how this process can be used more frequently. To make this evolution a reality, various medical players need to do their part. This includes Orfit Industries. This product innovation supports our ambition to contribute through research & development to more efficient and accurate technology without sacrificing patient comfort,” explains Emilie Cuypers, Product Manager Radiation Oncology at Orfit.
Innovation in the DNA
Since 1991, the development and production of thermoplastic masks have been the core business of Orfit Industries. The production of composite treatment tables has also recently been among the areas of expertise that Orfit Industries is expanding. The family-owned enterprise operates internationally in three niche markets. The main market is that of positioning and immobilization systems used in the radiation treatment of cancer patients. In addition, 35% of activity comes from the physical rehabilitation and orthopedics world in which Orfit develops and manufactures thermoplastic orthotic and prosthetic materials. The products are used in 100 countries on all continents. Despite its international orientation, the company remains 100% Belgian and family-owned. Thus, the third generation is now preparing to take over the torch and continue to grow internationally in the medical device market with great ambitions.
“We could never have achieved the growth we have experienced as a family business to this day without innovation as a key element. By deploying the latest technologies in development and production, the right talent and a constant search for the next step, we are following our mission in which we develop the best possible thermoplastic solutions and make them available to as many patients worldwide as possible,” said Steven Cuypers, CEO of Orfit. “Together with the recent investment of 10 million in our new production site where we develop and manufacture composite products, the Red Dot Design Award 2023 underlines our innovation strategy and confirms to our partners, distributors and end customers that innovation is embedded in our DNA.”
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