Philips: Helping doctors better diagnose their patients

Manila, Philippines -  Believe it or not, there was a time when diseases were diagnosed through ritual sacrifice, magic spells, and by unbelievably revolting methods such as tasting a patient’s urine and other body fluids. This was also when recovery from a whole range of diseases could be described as touch and go — a dangerous matter of chance. As expected, it was when the natural selection theory of survival of the fittest prevailed and mortality rates were high.

 Fortunately for our generation, great leaps in medical science have contributed significantly to the public’s overall health. Trailblazing research has resulted in the formulation of new and improved drugs and medical procedures. With the recognition that prompt diagnosis greatly improves treatment outcomes, innovative machines, too, are being developed to help physicians diagnose diseases at their earliest stages.

Philips, a world-class leader in healthcare solutions, is at the forefront of improving health and well-being. “Philips is committed to improving people’s lives through meaningful innovations,” says Dr. Joel Beltran, general manager of Philips Healthcare in the Philippines. Recently, the company launched its latest ultrasound system, the iU22xMatrix with Vision 2012 upgrade, in Manila.

What makes this new ultrasound machine different? “The Vision 2012 upgrade builds on our previous breakthroughs in medical imaging and improves ultrasound image quality immensely,” says Dr. Beltran.”Thus, it helps doctors better examine and diagnose their patients.”

The Vision 2012 features next-generation 2D, 3D, and 4D performance enhancements and a high array of high-level imaging functions. Beltran adds, “This brings the ultrasound up to CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) modality.”

Expectant mothers would be interested to know that the Philips Fetal Heart Navigator allows doctors to acquire the fetal heart volume in as little as two seconds. “Expectant mothers can see different shots of their unborn child’s heart using this technology,” says Dr. Richard Barr, president of US-based Radiology Consultants.

An auto-Doppler capability automates repetitive manual tasks to speed up and simplify standard vascular exams. A Vascular Plaque Quantification (VPQ) application uses 3D technology to examine the arteries and determine the risk of stroke or cardiovascular disease. With a non-invasive and painless assessment procedure such as this, perhaps it would be easier to encourage patients to monitor their vascular health more regularly, and perhaps make the necessary lifestyle changes to avoid permanent or more serious vascular disease.

Ultrasound machines have also proven invaluable in detecting breast cancers, With the new Philips ultrasound system, doctors will be able to visualize and monitor lesions with exceptional clarity and detail. “What we have found out is that the breast tissue is very different from any other organ in the body. Breast cancers show up as being not only hard, but they appear larger on the elastogram. If they get big, it is highly predictive that it is cancer. The opposite is true with benign lesions that are smaller,” elaborates Dr Barr. “Using the technology, we can predict with a high degree of certainty if a lesion is benign or malignant.” This potentially reduces the number of biopsies that need to be performed.

Other applications of the Philips iU22 x Matrix include gynecology elastography to determine the cause of bleeding and cervical pain or visualize polyps, prolapsed organs or even cervical cancer in women; and liver elastography to assess liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Dr. Barr concludes, “This gives a significant boost to medical technology capabilities. Patients can now expect less invasive methods that are simpler yet more precise.” It all redounds to “more accurate test results and peace of mind.”