Philips showcases new portable ultrasound for cardiac patients

Munich, Germany - At the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2008, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) today showcased the CX50 CompactXtreme, a recently developed handheld ultrasound system. On show in Europe for the first time, it is able to deliver the image quality expected of a traditional, full-size system in even the most technically challenging investigations. Designed to deliver high-quality images at the bedside, the CX50 provides clinicians with the information they need to give an accurate diagnosis of the patient's problem.

“This product has been developed in direct response to what clinicians have told us they need: a user-friendly, compact system for urgent, on the spot investigations. Very sick patients are often difficult to move - those on the critical and intensive care units may be attached to multiple tubes leading to ventilators, infusions, monitors and drug administration pumps. The CX50 provides a simple way to secure diagnostic quality images at the bedside saving valuable time, which in the treatment of critically ill patients is a very important factor,” commented Joris van den Hurk, vice president of cardiology programs for Philips Healthcare.

A leader in cardiac ultrasound, cardiovascular X-ray, monitoring systems and automated external defibrillators, Philips is committed to a patient-focused approach to healthcare. By working with clinicians at the forefront of patient care, Philips develops the technological solutions to help them provide top quality care for their patients throughout the care cycle - from disease prevention through to screening, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and health management.

At the ESC Congress 2008 Philips is focusing on ‘simplifying cardiac care', built around four key areas:

Gaining time by clearing a path from discovery to treatment

Whether a STEMI patient arrives by ambulance or transports themselves to the hospital, our solutions can capture and integrate each patient's diagnostic data, while supporting teamwork - a key strategy that enables healthcare providers to prevent information delays and shorten critical care times.

Timely triage by fast non invasive evaluation of cardiac patients

Identifying, monitoring and examining asymptomatic patients with high risk factors at an early stage is becoming increasingly important. The compact CX50 provides premium class echocardiography performance as well as the flexibility to examine the patient, wherever they are in the hospital.

Independence and convenience for chronic heart patients through home healthcare

Healthcare should be provided wherever it is best for the patient, and increasingly the home is playing a more important role in care. For over seven years, Philips' award-winning telemonitoring devices have enabled disease management firms, home care agencies and healthcare providers to remotely monitor chronic disease patients in their homes.

Minimally invasive interventions supported by outstanding 3D views of the heart

Philips' Live 3D Transesophageal Echocardiography delivers high quality 3D views that depict cardiac structure, pathology and function. It enables clinicians to capture the required views, assess function and morphology in real time, and measure and quantify data. This ensures the physician has access to more information for planning treatment, facilitating decisions such as whether to repair or replace a heart valve.

Connecting cardiac patient information across the hospital

At ESC Philips will be showcasing the new Philips cardiovascular information system (CVIS). The solution, which results from Philips' acquisition of Northern Ireland-based TOMCAT earlier this year, enables hospitals to automate the capture, reporting, review and analysis of detailed clinical and operational information across a patient's cardiovascular continuum of care.

Philips CVIS also connects to devices and systems from other leading vendors, with clinically proven system interfaces able to facilitate automated communication and data exchange. The solution is designed to complement and integrate seamlessly with a hospital's existing IT infrastructure, helping them to make the most out of the previous investments.

Philips CVIS is currently not available in the USA.

Symposia and focus sessions from Philips at the ESC Congress 2008

Philips will also be running several symposia and focus sessions at ESC, to which all delegates are invited to attend:

Echocardiography symposium

14:30 - 16:00 on Saturday 30th August
Room: Bucharest - zone A4

Chairpersons: M. Pepi (Milan, Italy), H. P. Kuehl (Aachen, Germany). Speakers are T. Buck (Essen, Germay), G. van Camp (Brussels, Belgium) and D. Adams (New York, USA)

Respironics symposium

12:45 - 13:30 on Monday 1st September Room: Zagreb - zone B3

Speakers are PD Dr. Dirk Skowasch (Cardiologist in Bonn, Germany), PD Dr. Ingo Fietze (Sleeplab of Cardiology Department Charitè, Berlin, Germany), Chairman: Prof. Baumann, Cardiologist (Charitè, Berlin, Germany).

Focus session: New echo techniques in valvular disease - live from Liege, Belgium

16:30 - 18:00 on Sunday 31st August
Room: London - zone B4

Focus session: Imaging heart muscle with MRI - live from Berlin, Germany

14:00 - 15:30 on Monday 1st September Room: London - zoone B4

You can visit Philips at ESC 2008 at Messe Munich, Germany in booth # B201 - zone A2 in Hall 2 from August 31- September 3, 2008 or online at www.philips.com/ESC

For further information, please contact:
Europe:
Mark Groves, Philips Healthcare
Tel: +31 653 179 850
Email:

USA:
Steve Kelly, Philips Healthcare
Tel: +1 425 487 7479
E-mail: