Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham recently upgraded its facilities with the purchase of a Philips EasyDiagnost Eleva fluoroscopic X-ray system. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is part of the University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Trust, which also incorporates Selly Oak Hospital. A major new build is in progress with this being the largest PFI project in the UK outside of London. The new super Hospital is due to open in 2010. The project will provide modern mental health services, a new Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, state-of-the-art clinical research and education facilities in association with the University of Birmingham, plus a world-class general and specialist super Hospital to serve the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The Philips EasyDiagnost Eleva is designed to perform a wide range of applications from gastro-intestinal, various iodine and vascular procedures, to radiography using an additional ceiling suspended tube. A hallmark of the system is its convenient design; it is easy-to-use and easy-to-handle and comes with technology that enables exam-, operator- and patient-related system pre-sets to be programmed to each user's preferences, increasing efficiency and reducing potential operator error.

Jean Coulsey, Deputy Superintendent Radiographer says, "One of the features we particularly like about the new system is the fold-out cassette holder. This enables us to do quality decubitus/Barium enema films without having to worry about the exposure or the cassette falling over."

Philips' fold-out cassette holder features an internal grid and automatic exposure control for the fastest-available lateral exposures like Decubitus or Barium Enema.

Ben Tromans, Core Trainer comments, "Another aspect of the system is the ability to grab a fluoroscopic image/run. This has allowed us to undertake video-fluoroscopy examinations that produce a significantly lower dose for the patient, whilst maintaining image quality."

As with all Philips' fluoroscopic X-ray systems, it comes with Philips' unique dose management programme, DoseWise. DoseWise maintains the highest image quality while maintaining the lowest possible dose, and is active throughout every level of the system, from the auto-parameter setting, In-Pulse control, to beam filtration and more. This is particularly important, as universal X-ray systems are required to deal with a wide variety of examinations and each exam requires a different set of parameters for frame rate, filter strength, collimator shutters positions etc. In the EasyDiagnost Eleva, all these parameters can be set and optimised automatically.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology, delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise of "sense and simplicity." Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 124,300 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of USD 34 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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