During the Dutch King's Day celebrations (April 27, 2021), King Willem-Alexander and his family stepped into the future of healthcare via augmented reality. They were welcomed at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven (The Netherlands) by Teddy Heerbaart, a talented young business development manager from Philips, who on behalf of Philips showed the Royal Family several high-profile innovations in healthcare.
The Royal Family was introduced to the concept of the ‘Digital Twin’, learned how 3D augmented-reality images are being used to help doctors look inside the body, and how a complex heart condition can be treated via minimally-invasive surgery using catheters inserted through a small incision in the groin. The Philips 'experience' concluded with a special tribute to healthcare personnel.
"In Eindhoven we are working on the future of health and care. I thought it was very special to let the Royal Family and all the viewers experience what the 'new' Philips is working on," said Teddy Heerbaart, Business Development Manager Circular Business at Philips. "It was a huge honor to host the King and his family on behalf of all my colleagues at Philips in our 130th anniversary year."
The Digital Twin demonstrated to the Royal Family is a virtual representation of a person based on their medical data, family history, and genetic information. Because each patient is unique and therefore needs personalized care, their digital twin can help doctors to select the right treatment, simulate its effectiveness in advance, and support the patient and their care team during and after treatment. In the future, ‘Digital Twin’ technology will help to make healthcare even more precise, personalized, and preventive.
As part of the experience, King Willem-Alexander symbolically treated a malfunctioning heart. It was explained that doctors can now perform heart operations and many vascular conditions through a small incision in the groin in what is known as minimally-invasive surgery. For example, these minimally-invasive procedures can now be used to replace or repair heart valves, something that previously required open-heart surgery with long recovery times.
The experience concluded with a special virtual meeting with healthcare personnel from the region. "Innovating healthcare is only possible when everyone in healthcare works together. These are the people who have been giving their all for over a year now in the fight against COVID-19. They deserve great appreciation from all of us on this special day," said Teddy Heerbaart, Philips.
The Dutch Royal Family and Philips have a close relationship that dates back to 1916, when Queen Wilhelmina granted Philips the designation 'Royal'. Over the years, the Royal Family has stayed at villa De Laak in Eindhoven, built on behalf of Anton Philips, made radio broadcasts from the Philips NatLab, and taken a look at the company's latest healthcare solutions.
To mark King's Day 2021, the Philips Museum created a special facade exhibition with photos of the exterior of Philips' very first factory on the Emmasingel in Eindhoven. The exhibition consists of video images and exclusive photos and is open for everyone to see. A preview can be found online via the website of the Philips Museum.
Philips was founded in Eindhoven in 1891 and is now active in more than 100 countries worldwide. On Saturday, May 15, the health technology company will celebrate its 130th anniversary. Philips was founded by father and son Frederik and Gerard Philips, with Frederik’s other son, Anton Philips joining the company in 1895. Together, the Philips brothers built the company into a global player.
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