Sep 01, 2020

Intuitive, integrated and efficient – world premiere of Philips’ next-generation Azurion image-guided therapy platform

New level of integration across imaging, physiology, hemodynamic and informatics applications
SmartCT guides acquisition of 3D CT-like images and provides visualization and measurement tools
Increased efficiency and flexibility with tableside access to more modalities and intuitive control of the gantry

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced its next-generation Philips Azurion image-guided therapy platform, marking an important step forward in optimizing clinical and operational lab performance and expanding the role of image-guided interventions in the treatment of patients. Intuitive, integrated and efficient, the next-generation Azurion advances the capabilities of the platform to further improve the quality and efficiency of interventional procedures. The Azurion platform has already achieved rapid global adoption and has been used in well over two million procedures [1] worldwide since its introduction three years ago.

In the past few decades, clinical practices around the world have evolved to successfully treat more patients and perform more complex procedures in interventional labs. However, with more staff and technologies involved during these procedures, interventional lab environments can become crowded and cluttered. In order to enhance clinician focus and control during procedures, Philips has integrated all the essential lab systems and tools into this new version of the Azurion platform, making it an important step forward in lab integration.

An industry-first, the Philips Azurion image-guided therapy platform now integrates control of imaging, physiology, hemodynamic and informatics applications, as well as intuitive control of the gantry, at the tableside, allowing clinicians to control all compatible applications from a single touch screen while performing procedures. This can eliminate the need for clinicians to leave the sterile field and step into an adjacent control room, as well as supporting faster and better informed decision making.

Simplifying 3D imaging during interventional procedures

With this next-generation Azurion platform, Philips is also introducing a new 3D imaging solution called SmartCT [2]. With SmartCT, users are guided through the image acquisition and can review and interact with the acquired CT-like 3D images on the tableside touch screen module using 3D visualization and measurement tools. These tools have been designed to support procedures in a range of clinical domains, including neurology, oncology, and cardiovascular procedures. The use of 3D imaging such as 3D RA or Cone Beam CT during interventional procedures has been shown to improve outcomes [3] and reduce radiation dose for both staff and patients [4].

This next-generation Azurion makes routine cardiovascular procedures more efficient and supports the development of new minimally-invasive techniques to treat complex diseases such as stroke, lung cancer and spine disorders.

Ronald Tabaksblat

General Manager Image Guided Therapy Systems at Philips

“Our aim as an innovation company and global market leader in image-guided therapy is to push the boundaries and set new industry standards for delivering an outstanding experience for clinicians, helping them to deliver superior care to every patient,” said Ronald Tabaksblat, General Manager Image Guided Therapy Systems at Philips. “This next-generation Azurion makes routine cardiovascular procedures more efficient and supports the development of new minimally-invasive techniques to treat complex diseases such as stroke, lung cancer and spine disorders.”

"The integrated platform enables us to efficiently carry out complex interventions at any time using a wide range of functions such as IVUS and iFR co-registration,” said Dr. med. Alexander Becker, head of the cardiac catheter laboratory at the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany, and one of the first hospitals to experience the new platform. “The use of the control panel by the examiner is intuitive, combining different sources of information to make patient evaluation much easier and faster.”

Seamless control and workflow during procedures

With the new Azurion platform, clinicians can easily switch between imaging, physiology, hemodynamic and informatics applications, including SmartCT and IntraSight – a comprehensive suite of clinically proven iFR, FFR, IVUS and co-registration modalities. Fully automatic position control enables clinicians to intuitively control the position of the gantry and table, as well as choosing from a wide range of stored parameters. The new Azurion also includes advanced cybersecurity features, new high-definition image display capabilities, and advanced remote and proactive services. The platform is available in three versions: complementing the Azurion 3 and 7 variants, Philips now also offers the Azurion 5 to facilitate even more tailored solutions to address specific customer needs. For more information visit www.philips.com/azurion.

[1] Based on Philips’ internal case and procedure data.

[2] SmartCT is 510(k) pending and not available for sale in the USA.

[3] Miyayama et al., ‘Comparison of local control in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma ≤6 cm with or without intraprocedural monitoring of the embolized area using cone beam computed tomography’, CVIR 2014.

[4] Schott et al., ‘Radiation dose in prostatic artery embolization using Cone Beam CT and 3D roadmap software, JVIR 2019.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 81,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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