Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today introduced the next generation Philips Respironics Sleep Therapy System at Medtrade 2009, the leading conference and expo for the home medical equipment industry. The arrival of the new product line brings significant advancements in therapy for millions of sleep apnea sufferers, along with solutions to healthcare providers to help meet today's healthcare challenges. Those who experience this potentially life-threatening condition stop breathing repeatedly during sleep due to an obstruction in the upper airway or when the brain fails to send signals for respiration.

Philips Respironics commercialized continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in 1985 and, soon after, exclusively developed bi-level airway pressure technology for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The first line effective treatment works by delivering a gentle flow of pressurized air through a mask to keep the airway open. The new Philips Respironics Sleep Therapy System combines 25 years of experience with state-of-the-art technology and new-to-market features that optimize comfort, care, and efficacy of therapy in patients. The system also provides new levels of control, compliance and efficiency to help healthcare professionals improve patient outcomes, grow their businesses and better manage their operating costs.

"Our new system is proof positive of our vision of working together with our provider customers to transform the home healthcare market to meet today's challenges and tomorrow's promise of improved care," says Donald Spence, CEO of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions. "In designing the new system, we took a smarter approach to the entire sleep management process and married our clinically proven technologies together in one rigorously engineered device to better support patient care. It is our most sophisticated offering to date, and it comes at a time when patient compliance matters most."
The new system provides a range of therapy options for mild to severe sleep apnea patients and helps providers recognize changing patient conditions that may require different treatment. With new advanced event detection software and expanded reporting capabilities, Philips Respironics Sleep Therapy System has the ability to recognize and report when a patient may be experiencing symptoms beyond OSA. A sophisticated three-layer algorithm distinguishes between obstructed and clear airway apneas and periodic breathing, such as Cheyne-Stokes Respiration. Medical professionals now have easy access to sleep assessment parameters typically found on diagnostic equipment.

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