Chicago, Ill. Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) has unveiled a range of new cardiovascular solutions that supply cardiologists with insightful clinical knowledge for more confident diagnoses at the 2006 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions meeting. At AHA, Philips revealed the industrys smallest transducer for 4D cardiac ultrasound imaging in infants and children to help cardiologists accurately view a patients cardiac structure and blood flow by improving access to the heart.

As cardiac care continues to be a prevalent concern for millions of Americans, innovative solutions and applications that integrate with various modalities including ultrasound, healthcare informatics, magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) are needed to help speed care and increase clinical confidence. Philips new and integrated technologies on display at AHA offer physicians vivid insight into the human heart and clinical information, which may provide more accurate information to evaluate a patients condition and provide the necessary treatment.

"Cardiologists need tools that yield more detailed clinical information to better diagnose and care for the increasing number of cardiac patients of different body sizes that require treatment, said Brent Shafer, executive vice president and CEO, North America, for Philips Medical Systems. Philips recognizes this need and has developed patient-focused technologies that enable cardiologists to act earlier, react faster and make more accurate treatment decisions.


Introduced for the first time, the Philips X7-2 x-MATRIX array transducer is part of a robust pediatric and congenital heart disease solution that affords small patients the same imaging, quantification and cardiac management benefits that adults attain from Live real-time 3D echocardiography (echo), an ultrasound of the heart. The speed at which volumetric data are captured and the non-invasive nature of ultrasound enables clinicians to obtain high-quality images and data quickly and easily, while potentially reducing young patients emotional and physical stress, and providing surgeons with pre-operative views of cardiac anatomy and function.

Additionally, the Philips X7-2 transducer, in conjunction with QLAB quantification software, allows cardiologists to evaluate a pediatric patients heart and closely examine structures, blood flow and function for enhanced diagnosis and treatment planning.

More Industry Headlines