Philips showcases innovations in radiation oncology imaging technology and workflow planning at the 55th American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting

At the 55^th American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting,September 22-25 in Atlanta, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) will feature the latest innovations that address efficient and personalized radiation oncology care for patients and their clinicians.

The Philips solutions featured at ASTRO 2013 have been developed in collaboration with healthcare clinicians to transform oncology care together by saving lives and improving quality of care for cancer patients. Philips radiation oncology solutions span the continuum of care – from decisions and staging, through treatment planning, delivery and follow-up, to the ongoing care of the patient in the hospital and at home – to improve patient care, provide excellent value and expand access to care.  

"At Philips, we are committed to improving care for oncology patients, and to delivering meaningful innovations that directly address the challenges faced by clinicians – from diagnosis to therapy guidance to follow-up," said Gene Saragnese, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Philips Imaging Systems. "We are dedicated to improving and saving lives through innovation, delivering solutions that offer advanced image quality and real-time collaboration for clinicians, along with low dose and better, more personalized care for patients."   

Philips, the #1 Overall Imaging Equipment Vendor[i], is showcasing several new product features that demonstrate the company's commitment to partnering with radiation oncology healthcare providers to transform patient care.

Successful radiation cancer therapy depends on the flexibility and quality of the radiation therapy plan. Philips is introducing the Ingenia MR-RT Oncology Configuration as a comprehensive solution that allows radiation oncology departments to smoothly integrate MR imaging into their CT-based radiation treatment planning workflow. With the Ingenia MR – the first-ever digital broadband MR – as its backbone, this solution is designed to provide clinicians with high-quality MR images that can improve the detail of the image for defining tumor contours through excellent soft-tissue contrast.

The state-of-the-art 70cm wide-bore Ingenia scanner provides superb imaging capabilities and easily accommodates a flat table top and a variety of MR-compatible accessories for imaging in the radiation therapy treatment position. Reproducible patient positioning is further supported by the external laser positioning system.

This dedicated solution focuses on improving workflow for clinicians and includes customized MR imaging protocols for brain, head and neck, prostate and female pelvis, quality assurance tools, as well as tailored training for radiation oncology staff consisting of on-site and Webcast-based modules.     

Through collaboration with clinicians, Philips is able to fully integrate the imaging, simulation, planning, and therapy tools required to deliver efficient and personalized radiation oncology care for patients. Philips oncology-focused imaging solutions drive clinical performance, enhance patient experience and ensure economic value. Additional Philips products that will be showcased at ASTRO include:

• Brilliance CT Big Bore: Designed to meet the unique imaging and workflow requirements of radiotherapy, the latest innovations to the system are metal artifact reduction for orthopedic implants (O-MAR), for artifact prevention in images that are caused by large orthopedic implants, and iDose⁴, Philips leading technology that improves image quality, reduces artifacts and increases spatial resolution, all at a low dose to the patient. In addition to improving image quality, together these innovations also reduce artifacts and improve workflow for clinicians. Both technologies are offered through the new Oncology Workflow and Image Quality Enhancement Package for Brilliance CT Big Bore. 
• GEMINI TF Big Bore PET/CT: Since its introduction in 2009, this system has been installed at more than 67 hospitals and cancer centers worldwide as it was specifically designed to overcome the difficulties of using PET/CT for radiation therapy. The PET feature includes Philips' premium time-of-flight technology, Astonish TF, which enhances image quality by reducing image artifacts and providing increased sensitivity, making the system ideally suited for both radiation therapy simulations and diagnostic PET/CT exams since it can accommodate the needs for both clinical uses with virtually no compromises. In addition, the system helps keep patient positioning consistent, aids clinicians in streamlining their workflow and offers the potential to more accurately define tumors and evaluate treatment response. 
• Pinnacle³: This system is recognized as a treatment planning system for external beam radiotherapy, providing accuracy and reliability independent of the treatment delivery system. Several new Pinnacle³ features are on display at ASTRO 2013:
  • Pinnacle³ 9.4 with SPICE saves times by automating the contouring process and improving consistency.
  • Pinnacle³ 9.6 with Dynamic Planning provides a fast assessment to determine the need to re-plan and dynamically tracks the impact of patient changes to treatment plans. The fullAccess feature accelerates the plan review by providing the ability to review and annotate images or plans remotely.
  • Pinnacle³ 9.8 reduces planning time by quickly calculating the dose required for the patient.

"Philips has a more than 20-year history in radiation oncology innovations that have provided groundbreaking solutions for physicians and their patients," said Mr. Saragnese. "The products and solutions featured at ASTRO 2013 continue this legacy, working to improve the quality of care for patients with cancer."

In addition to its product portfolio, Philips also supports the oncology community through the Philips Cancer Center Program, an initiative in collaboration with leading oncology solutions providers to address both the clinical and business challenges of multidisciplinary care. Philips offerings through the program now include cancer center strategic planning and development, business model alignment, operational and legal structuring, capitalization and financing.

Visit Philips at ASTRO 2013 in Atlanta at booth #1832 from September 22-25. For more information, please go to http://www.healthcare.philips.com/us_en/about/events/astro.