Human-centered design at its best: Philips Azurion Neuro Biplane wins iF Design Gold Award 2025

Apr 30, 2025 | 2 minute read

Philips’ Azurion Neuro Biplane system has been awarded one of the highest honors in the design world: the iF Design Gold Award 2025. Recognized for its human-centered approach to innovation, the advanced image-guided therapy system impressed the international jury for its intuitive user experience, elegant form language, and powerful clinical functionality — all designed to support physicians during high-stakes neurovascular procedures like stroke and aneurysm treatment.

Chosen from nearly 11,000 submissions across 66 countries, the Azurion Neuro Biplane stood out to the jury for its exceptional integration of form, function, and empathy in design. Describing it as “human-centered design at its best,” the jury praised the system’s intuitive form language, refined aesthetics, and sophisticated user experience. “Despite its immense size and complexity, the form language is soft and friendly. This feels like a safe pair of hands,” the jury noted.

This recognition is a tribute to years of co-creation with clinicians, observation inside real angio suites, and design driven by deep user understanding.

- Peter Skillman, Global Head of Design at Philips

“This recognition is a tribute to years of co-creation with clinicians, observation inside real angio suites, and design driven by deep user understanding,” said Peter Skillman, Global Head of Design at Philips. “Every design choice—from the ergonomics of FlexArm to intuitive table-side control—was guided by the needs of patients and care teams.”

Designed for neurovascular procedures where every second counts, the Azurion Neuro Biplane enables clinicians to transition seamlessly between 2D and 3D imaging, improving workflow speed and diagnostic precision. Features such as SmartCT, flexible C-arm rotation, and fully integrated controls allow teams to maintain focus during high-pressure interventions like stroke or aneurysm repair.

Since its launch in 2017, Philips’ Azurion platform has become one of the most widely used image-guided therapy systems in the world—enabling over 6.4 million patient procedures each year across more than 80 countries. As a leader in image-guided therapy solutions, Philips continues to raise the bar with innovations like the Azurion Neuro Biplane, helping care teams treat more patients, reduce procedure time, and improve clinical outcomes while supporting the shift to minimally invasive therapies.

The iF DESIGN AWARD has honored design excellence since 1954. In 2025, just 75 Gold Awards were presented across all categories. Winners were selected by a jury of 131 international experts, based on criteria such as idea, form, function, differentiation, and sustainability. The award was presented at the iF Design Award Night on April 28 at Berlin’s Friedrichstadt-Palast.

In addition to the Gold Award for the Azurion Neuro Biplane, Philips received a total of 48 iF DESIGN AWARDs in 2025, highlighting the company’s leadership in human-centered design across healthcare innovation. Winning designs include the Philips Capsule Surveillance system, the Philips Cardiac Workstation, Interventional Cardiology Reporting solutions, and the Radiology Operations Command Center (ROCC), alongside advanced imaging technologies like the Philips Spectral CT 7500 and Zenition 90. Together, these achievements reflect Philips’ deep commitment to improving patient outcomes, enhancing clinical workflows, and making healthcare more intuitive and effective through design.

For more information, visit the iF Design Award project page or www.philips.com/biplane.

Designing with Purpose: Read a Q&A with designer Ivo Stuyfzand on the Azurion Neuro Biplane and the human-centered design philosophy behind it.