Apr 05, 2017

Philips drives leadership in image-guided therapy solutions with launch of next generation Azurion platform

Developed in collaboration with leading hospitals worldwide, Philips Azurion is an innovative image-guided therapy platform that allows clinicians to easily and confidently perform a wide range of routine and complex procedures, helping them to optimise interventional lab performance and provide superior care
Azurion is powered by ConnectOS, Philips’ newly developed operating system to optimise system integration which features an easy-to-use intuitive user interface combined with real-time information on multiple work spots within the interventional lab

Sydney, Australia – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a leader in health technology, today announced the launch of Azurion, its next generation image guided therapy platform, which forms the new core of its integrated solutions portfolio for the fast-growing image guided therapy market. As a leader in this market, Philips offers integrated solutions comprising interventional imaging technologies and planning and navigation software combined with interventional devices - including catheters for diagnosis and therapy - and a broad range of services, all aimed at helping clinicians to provide superior care at predictable costs.

A leader in advanced catheters for diagnosis and therapy, following the acquisition of Volcano in 2015, Philips is now further cementing its position in image guided therapy. Philips’ Azurion image-guided therapy platform for interventional labs is the result of a multi-year, collaborative development program conducted with leading clinicians in the field. This next generation platform enables clinicians to swiftly and confidently perform a wide range of routine and complex procedures in the interventional lab.

“Philips’ vision is to provide seamlessly integrated solutions that advance minimally invasive procedures by helping physicians to decide, guide, treat and confirm the right therapy for reach patient at the point of care,” said Kevin Barrow, Managing Director, Philips Australia and New Zealand.

Azurion has been designed to address the industry challenges of controlling costs while maintaining their standards of care. The platform is equipped with new workflow options and performance dashboards, as well as an upcoming range of productivity improvement services.

Azurion is Philips’ next generation image-guided therapy platform and the new core of its integrated solutions portfolio. Azurion supports a full range of configurations across a broad spectrum of image-guided therapy procedures. These include configurations for high volume routine procedures and flexible configurations for advanced procedures. Harnessing vital procedural information from various sources, such as imaging systems, interventional devices, navigation tools and patient health records, Azurion provides interventional staff members with the control and information they need to perform procedures efficiently.

“Interventionalists are now expected to do more with less,” said Dr Atul Gupta, Chief Medical Officer Image Guided Therapy, Philips and Interventional Radiologist. “Over the last 20 years the profession has dramatically transformed. A growing and ageing population, in addition to lifestyle changes, now means the number and complexity of image guided procedures carried out in interventional labs has changed enormously; the technology needed to do the same,”. Azurion seeks to answer these issues and technologies like this will ultimately result in even less invasive procedures, fewer repeat procedures and improved workflow.”

The Azurion platform also features over 1,000 new components, which all work together to deliver high image quality at ultra-low X-ray dose and real-time image processing on multiple work spots within the interventional lab. Parallel working enables the team of clinicians to complete different tasks simultaneously in the interventional lab, saving valuable time without compromising quality of care. Azurion features procedure cards that allow clinicians to pre-program routine tasks and user preferences, helping to minimise preparation errors and further reducing preparation and procedure time.

Philips has pioneered a steady stream of innovations in planning and navigation software for areas such as vascular surgery (e.g. VesselNavigator), interventional cardiology (e.g. EchoNavigator), interventional oncology (e.g. EmboGuide), and interventional neuroradiology (e.g. AneurysmFlow). All these advanced interventional tools integrate seamlessly into the Azurion platform to support the clinical workflow.

Minimally-invasive therapies such as the catheter-based treatment of certain tumours, aneurysms, obstructed blood vessels, heart rhythm disorders and defective heart valves, continue to grow fast; in addition to reduced patient trauma and shorter recovery times, such procedures also have the benefit of allowing the treatment of patients who would not be able to withstand the trauma of open surgery. During such procedures, clinicians cannot directly see and feel the organs they are working on; effective imaging, measurement and navigation technologies are key to guiding minimally-invasive procedures.

“As a leader in image-guided therapy, Philips has been driving continuous innovation to address rising patient volumes and increased procedure complexity,” added Bert van Meurs, Business Leader Image Guided Therapy at Philips. “Hundreds of Philips developers, engineers and designers and dozens of our clinical partners across the world have collaborated to develop the Azurion platform, which was designed to optimise system integration and lab performance. With Azurion we can deliver new turnkey solutions that support our customers in maintaining high standards of quality and patient care at predictable costs.”

Visit the Philips Azurion website www.philips.com/azurion for more information or download the Azurion user study.

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’ health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.