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Andover, Mass. and Westchester, Ill. - The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre officially opened its new combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/operating room (OR) suite for image-guided neurosurgery. Philips Achieva 3.0T X Series MRI scanner coupled with BrainSUITE® iMRI is the first combination of its kind in North America. The suite was developed in partnership with BrainLAB and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) to offer neurosurgeons at The Montreal Children's Hospital a tool to help increase surgical precision in the removal of brain tumors.

BrainSUITE iMRI provides a real-time "road map" for surgeons in the OR by integrating intra-operative imaging with surgical navigation, planning and digital data management in the OR.

"The powerful combination of BrainSUITE iMRI and the Philips Achieva scanner offers The Montreal Children's Hospital clinically-advanced technology to continue to provide quality care to young patients," stated Sean Clark, president, BrainLAB Inc.

BrainSUITE iMRI uses a digital navigation system to show the spatial position of surgical instruments combined with the 3D MRI images of the brain acquired by the scanner. The high-resolution representation of a tumor's location, both prior to and during the surgery, helps guide the removal of tumors.

"Traditionally, during brain surgery, we are guided by MR images taken prior to the procedure. But during surgery, the brain can actually shift as a result of a slight movement of the head, retraction of the brain, or the draining of cerebrospinal fluid. Thus the images the neurosurgeon is relying on are no longer as precise later during the case," said Dr. Jean-Pierre Farmer, Chief of Surgery and a member of the neurosurgery team. "With BrainSUITE iMRI, we have access to images of the brain in real-time which allow us to be much more accurate at determining where the tumor begins and ends. Furthermore the 3 Tesla technology of the new magnet allows us to identify eloquent areas that we need to avoid entering as we resect tumors."

Advanced intra-operative imaging sequences, such as functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion imaging, also help surgeons identify critical functional areas and plan their approach to a lesion. fMRI depicts what function is located where in the brain and diffusion imaging visualizes brain structures and how different parts of the brain are connected. Providing surgeons with this information helps them remove tumors more efficiently and identify tissue to avoid. The design of Philips' MRI scanner allows for flexibility in patient positioning and access during advanced surgical procedures to further support surgeons in the OR.

"Integrating technology from Philips and BrainLAB in the OR helps to improve clinical capabilities by providing surgeons with the vital information they need intra-operatively to improve decision making and pursue better patient care," said Joop van Vaals, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, MRI, for Philips Healthcare.

BrainSUITE iMRI is powered by a digital data management system which also provides intra-operative access to patient data from the hospital's Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) and controls the flow of all digital data within the OR suite.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs more than 118,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 26 billion in 2008, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About BrainLAB

BrainLAB develops, manufactures and markets software-driven medical technology that enables procedures that are more precise, less invasive, and also less expensive than traditional treatments. Among the core products are image-guided systems that provide highly accurate real-time information used for navigation during surgical procedures. This utility has been further expanded to serve as a computer terminal for physicians to more effectively access and interpret diagnostic scans and other digital medical information for better informed decisions. BrainLAB solutions allow expansion from a single system to operating suites to digitally integrated hospitals covering all subspecialties from neurosurgery, orthopaedics, ENT, CMF to spine & trauma and oncology. With more than 4,600 systems installed in over 80 countries, BrainLAB is a market leader in image-guided technology. The privately held BrainLAB group, founded in 1989, is headquartered in Munich, Germany and today employs 950 people in 16 offices across Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America. For more information, visit BrainLAB at www.brainlab.com.

The Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH) is the pediatric teaching hospital of the McGill University Health Centre and is affiliated with McGill University. The MCH is a leader in providing a broad spectrum of highly specialized care to newborns, children, and adolescents from across Quebec. Our areas of medical expertise include programs in brain development/behaviour, cardiovascular sciences, critical care, medical genetics and oncology, tertiary medical and surgical services, and trauma care. Fully bilingual, the hospital also promotes multiculturalism and serves an increasingly diverse community in more than 50 languages. The Montreal Children's Hospital sets itself apart with its team approach to innovative patient care. Our health professionals and staff are dedicated to ensuring children and their families receive exceptional health care in a friendly and supportive environment.