Philips unveils PET/CT, highlights patient comfort technology
Royal Philips Electronics last week unveiled its PET/CT technology for oncology, cardiology and molecular imaging applications and demonstrated its Ambient Experience concept at ECR 2006 in Vienna, Austria. The company also showcased a range of advanced technologies for the first time in Europe.

The Gemini TF is the first PET/CT system to use gamma ray time-measurements to deliver increased image quality and consistency, enabling earlier disease detection in patients. The advantages of the technology have been previously demonstrated in a research environment, but Philips said it is the first provider to translate these benefits into a system clinical use. Raising effective image sensitivity by more than two times over conventional PET, the Gemini TF delivers benefits for both patients and clinicians.

Philips also demonstrated its Ambient Experience concept at the conference. The system creates a soothing and pleasing environment for patients of all ages and provides a degree of control to the patient.

Other Philips produced showcased included:
  • SmartExam for improved MR workflow. With SmartExam, clinicians and technologists are empowered with automatic planning, scanning and processing just by using a mouse. Currently available on the Philips Achieva 3.0T, Achieva 1.5T, Intera 1.5T and Panorama 1.0T scanners, the SmartExam tool can also be applied to previously installed Philips MR systems;
  • iSite PACS: a Philips solution from the acquisition of Stentor Inc., the system is fully integrated into the Philips product portfolio;
  • The Media & Distribution Center offers a system for online and offline image storage and communication in clinics and small hospitals. An alternative to medical laser printers, the Media & Distribution Center connects to any DICOM imaging environment and automatically records image data onto a labeled self-playing CD or DVD, together with viewing and processing software;
  • The Allura Xper FD20/10 is a biplane flat detector system with integrated 3D for intricate neurovascular procedures;
  • Philips EasyRIS 3.1: a highly adaptable for hospitals and departments, offering rich interoperability with other systems and modalities;
  • Philips EasyAccess 10.2: features improved viewing functionality, resulting in a substantially reduced time to display first images in large stacks. New features include a knee module in the EasyAccess Orthopaedic Package, the new Mammography package and a suite of Philips clinical applications;
  • Philips ViewForum 5.1 and clinical applications: offers advanced tuning, extra task guidance, and a number of enhanced clinical applications. ViewForum is extremely suitable for large and complex CT and MR cases. At ECR 2006, Philips showcased the enhanced CT colonoscopy, volume inspection and cardiac MR applications. Also new to this latest version are Merge View and a suite of new orthopedic applications, which includes hip templating modules, extensive osteotomy planning and a set of orthopedic measurements;
  • Philips Xtenity Enterprise: a work in progress that is powered by Epic that can help healthcare organizations meet the challenge of increasing safety and quality of care while managing costs;
  • Advances from MR -- DWIBS Diffusion Body Scanning offers the potential to dramatically improve detection of lesions throughout the body, providing PET-like imaging and sensitivity that revolutionizes the role of MRI in oncology studies;
  • 4D-TRAK MR Angiography (4D Time-Resolved Angiography using Keyhole) enables up to 60 times faster MR angiography for patients with suspected vascular disease;
  • FiberTrak enables clear visualization of white matter fibers in the brain;
  • k-t BLAST is up to five times faster than other methods, k-t BLAST is designed to substantially reduces cardiac MRI scan times, while retaining excellent image quality;
  • Spectroscopy with SENSE – this application of parallel acquisition techniques to spectroscopy is unique in the industry, and reduces Spectroscopic Imaging scan times to less than a minute; and
  • Philips HD3: a high definition ultrasound system and Philips smallest, easiest-to-use, most mobile HD system.
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