Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today unveiled a range of new cardiovascular solutions that supply cardiologists with insightful clinical knowledge for more confident diagnoses at the 2006 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions meeting. At AHA, Philips revealed the industry?s smallest transducer for 4D cardiac ultrasound imaging in infants and children to help cardiologists accurately view a patient?s cardiac structure and blood flow by improving access to the heart.
As cardiac care continues to be a prevalent concern for millions of Americans, innovative solutions and applications that integrate with various modalities including ultrasound, healthcare informatics, magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) are needed to help speed care and increase clinical confidence. Philips new and integrated technologies on display at AHA offer physicians vivid insight into the human heart and clinical information, which may provide more accurate information to evaluate a patient?s condition and provide the necessary treatment.
?Cardiologists need tools that yield more detailed clinical information to better diagnose and care for the increasing number of cardiac patients of different body sizes that require treatment,? said Brent Shafer, executive vice president and CEO, North America, for Philips Medical Systems. ?Philips recognizes this need and has developed patient-focused technologies that enable cardiologists to act earlier, react faster and make more accurate treatment decisions.?
Introduced for the first time, the Philips X7-2 x-MATRIX array transducer is part of a robust pediatric and congenital heart disease solution that affords small patients the same imaging, quantification and cardiac management benefits that adults attain from Live real-time 3D echocardiography (echo), an ultrasound of the heart. The speed at which volumetric data are captured and the non-invasive nature of ultrasound enables clinicians to obtain high-quality images and data quickly and easily, while potentially reducing young patients? emotional and physical stress, and providing surgeons with pre-operative views of cardiac anatomy and function.
Additionally, the Philips X7-2 transducer, in conjunction with QLAB quantification software, allows cardiologists to evaluate a pediatric patient?s heart and closely examine structures, blood flow and function for enhanced diagnosis and treatment planning.
Integrated Cardiovascular Information Management Speeds Workflow
Philips Xcelera R2.1 is a cardiovascular information solution that integrates exam results from all key cardiology subspecialties? interventional X-ray, cardiovascular ultrasound, electrocardiography (ECG), nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT, cardiac MR and electrophysiology. Soon to be released to the U.S. market, Philips Xcelera R2.1 is a solution designed for documentation, viewing, quantification and reporting, while providing clinicians access to relevant patient images and information across the hospital from a single workspace.
Philips Xcelera 2.1 is designed to speed cardiovascular workflow and help enhance patient care. New results management capabilities, and new or enhanced 2D and 3D clinical tools help cardiac professionals to more efficiently diagnose a patient?s condition and subsequently make more informed decisions about the method of treatment.
Cardiac Professionals Benefit from the Integrated Cath Lab?s Streamlined Data
At AHA 2006, Philips showcased its integrated catheterization (cath) lab solution, which presents tight integration between Philips advanced cardiovascular X-ray, physiomonitoring, reporting and cardiovascular information management systems. Cardiologists, clinicians and administrators can benefit from the integrated cath lab?s streamlined data, easy access to precise relevant images and information, and exceptional diagnostic and therapeutic imaging tools. Another advantage of the integrated cath lab is the simplicity of one comprehensive solution delivered, developed and supported by one company.
The Series IV physiomonitoring and information system, added to the Philips product portfolio through the recent acquisition of Witt Biomedical, is one of the components to the Philips integrated cath lab. This Philips solution provides comprehensive, accurate hemodynamic monitoring and analysis. It also features customizable electronic charting and robust transcription, clinical and statistical reporting. The system simplifies workflow and transforms data into accurate, useful and accessible information so physicians and clinicians can focus on patients. In 2005, this technology was named ?Best in KLAS? for Cardiology Reporting & Documenting and the KLAS Specialty Niche Category Leader for Cardiology Hemodynamics.[1]
TrueView Technology Integrates CT Scans with X-ray Images in the Cath Lab
Displayed at this year?s AHA scientific sessions is Philips CT?s TrueView technology. This software integrates CT imaging into the cath lab by allowing 3D CT images to be transferred to the Philips Allura Xper FD cardiovascular X-ray system. Uniting two of Philips leading diagnostic systems, the integration provides clinicians with a more complete view of the anatomy for the treatment planning of invasive procedures involving conditions like ischemia, arrhythmia and heart failure.
Electrocardiogram Assists Cardiologists Wirelessly and in a Fast-Paced Environment
The key drivers in the continuing development of Philips ECG solutions are streamlining workflow and tightening the connectivity across the enterprise. The latest release, PageWriter Touch and TraceMasterVue provide numerous unique and best-in-class solutions to meet customer needs. The new Networked Orders functionality allows the remote PageWriter Touch user to download a complete ECG orders worklist, to increase efficiency, minimize documentation errors, and speed reimbursements. The user can even do a rapid search for a specific new order via wireless communications while in transit to conduct the specific ECG test. Once completed, the ECG report can also be forwarded promptly – on the fly – to the TraceMasterVue ECG System using the standard enterprise wireless infrastructure, eliminating the need to be tethered to a power line or a LAN connection.
Also now available are several significant new enhancements to assist in the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Department. ECGs can be collected from Philips MRx defibrillators as a patient is in transit to the ED (Emergency Department), while the Critical Values capability built into every PageWriter Touch provides rapid identification of patients requiring immediate attention once in the ED. Centralized time management means the cardiograph will reflect accurate, networked-based time – critical in this setting. Philips IntelliVue patient monitors enable collection and analysis of 12-lead ECGs. TraceMasterVue’s Workflow Management tools speed the information to the places where it is needed, such as remote cardiologists.
Innovative Enhancements to Wireless Patient Monitoring System
Philips also showcased a new device location enhancement to its IntelliVue Telemetry System. Telemetry systems enable mobile, wireless monitoring for emergency department patients with suspected cardiac problems, and continuous surveillance for recovering patients in the ICU stepdown unit or ambulatory cardiac patients. The Device Location feature helps hospital staff quickly retrieve telemetry transceivers that have been misplaced, mistakenly taken by patients, or lost. The ability to track down missing transceivers helps to reduce replacement costs, increase efficiency and prevent interruptions to care.
New MR Upgrades with Faster, More Accurate Analysis Tools
Philips Achieva Extended MR Workspace now streamlines workflow, helping meet the growing demand for fast and accurate cardiac MR, while providing optimum asset utilization. Clinicians benefit from comprehensive tools which automate previously tedious analysis tasks. Patients enjoy a fast, comfortable and non-invasive exam.
Additionally, to provide even faster cardiac MR solutions, only Philips provides technologies like kt-BLAST (k-space time Broad-use Linear Acquisition Speed-up Technique). kt-BLAST provides faster, higher quality cardiac MR, while reducing most acquisitions to a single breath hold. This makes exams more comfortable for patients who are unable to participate in multiple lengthy breath holds or endure longer scan times.
All of these products and technologies will be featured at the Philips booth, #1105. Some products referenced may not be licensed for sale in Canada.