Andover, Mass.- Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) has announced the commercial release of Philips EP navigator, an easy to use, innovative imaging tool that will support clinicians in the treatment of complex cardiac rhythm disorders. EP Navigator combines pre-interventional 3D CT images of a patients' cardiac anatomy with live X-ray fluoroscopy catheter position information in a single image. This allows physicians to navigate more easily through the heart during complex procedures and enables them to work with greater confidence, in a more intuitive way.

Cardiac arrhythmia can drastically reduce the quality of a patient's life, and can also lead to serious health risks, including heart failure or stroke. These disorders are being diagnosed in increasing numbers throughout the world. For example, Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a specific type of heart rhythm disorder characterized by irregular, rapid beating of the atrial chambers, is found in about 2.2 million Americans and 4.5 million Europeans.

Dr. Michael Orlov at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston, Mass. is the first clinical user of this new product and is taking advantage of the new functionality EP navigator brings to St. Elizabeth's EP lab. "EP navigator allows me to instantly confirm the position of all catheters with respect to the patient's anatomy, in real-time, on a single image. It helped us to confirm difficult anatomy on several occasions when fluoroscopy and electro-anatomical mapping were ambiguous. Image registration is user-friendly and allows for easy adjustments when necessary. In complex ablation procedures, it is important to maintain good contact between the ablation catheter and the left atrial wall. EP navigator is an easy to use tool to visualize catheter position and help maintain this contact. The use of the tool will likely allow us to perform procedures with more confidence and efficiency."
"We listen carefully to our electrophysiology customers, because we are determined to improve the EP lab and simplify the working environment by integrating information across the EP care cycle and helping clinicians develop new, less complex treatments," said Ronald Tabaksblat, vice president, electrophysiology for Philips Medical Systems. "EP navigator embodies sense and simplicity in that it leverages advanced technology to provide electrophysiologists an intuitive tool to perform complex procedures with more confidence."

The EP navigator is available as an option with Philips Allura Xper family of cath lab solutions.

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