Philips Introduces New MR Simulator and CT Applications to Help Increase Department Efficiency and Provide Valuable Information During Radiation Oncology Treatment Planning

Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG) (AEX:PHI) is introducing advances in its portfolio of leading oncology solutions to help physicians define their targets easily and effectively. Recognizing that console time is at a premium in busy imaging centers, Philips is announcing the availability of its Tumor LOC application on the workstation. The company is also unveiling Panorama 1.0T R/T — the first high field open MR simulator. These technologies are on display at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Philadelphia. New Localization Application Available on Workstation Until now, Tumor Localization (Tumor LOC) has only been available to Philips Brilliance CT Big Bore customers on the console, but with software release 3.5, this application will be available for purchase on the Extended Brilliance Workspace (EBW). The added convenience will be particularly beneficial for Brilliance Big Bore customers with large respiratory correlated workloads. All of the best-in-class 4D tools found on the console will now be available on the extended Brilliance Workspace, enhancing workflow efficiency and flexibility in the radiotherapy department. Tumor LOC is an application used in radiation oncology departments for localizing target volumes for radiation therapy planning. It includes exclusive features for viewing Respiratory Correlated CT datasets and analyzing motion of target and surrounding anatomy. When offered together with Remote Reconstruction and Pulmonary Viewer, it turns the EBW into a high performance 4D oncology workstation. Advanced 4D tools such as dynamic digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRR) and digitally composited radiographs (DCR) allow users to visualize respiratory motion from a beam’s eye view and easily evaluate multi-phasic volumetric datasets. A more dynamic view helps determine where a tumor has moved over time and takes into account the depth of the field, giving a realistic view of the anatomy. As the first company to introduce a large bore scanner at the ASTRO meeting in 2000 with the launch of AcQsim CT, Philips continues to lead the oncology CT industry with the largest install base of oncology CT scanners. First High Field Open MR Simulator The introduction of the Panorama 1.0T with R/T option — the first high field open MR simulator — builds on Philips experience in developing the first commercially available MR simulator, the Panorama 0.23T R/T. This option of the Panorama 1.0T is dedicated for radiation oncology and has received FDA clearance. The R/T option includes an external laser positioning system, an oncology tabletop with indexing, geometric distortion correction software and specialized imaging protocols. The open gantry of Panorama 1.0T allows for patient scanning in treatment position with immobilization devices or supine inclined for breast imaging. Precise patient alignment is achieved with a flat and rigid oncology table top modeled after the LINAC table and a set of MR-compatible immobilization devices. The Panorama 1.0T is the only high field open MR system featuring high performance whole body diagnostic imaging capabilities. Diffusion Weighted whole body Imaging with Background body signal Suppression (DWIBS) is a new whole body imaging technique unique to Philips systems and represents a breakthrough for identifying the presence of lesions without exposing the patient to radiation or radioactive isotopes.1 New Collaborations to Advance Radiation Therapy Planning Philips is also announcing new collaborations with research and clinical practice leaders, reinforcing the company’s commitment to providing sense and simplicity in all of its oncology solutions. Philips and the University of Florida are collaborating on the development of Proton Therapy Planning software, working closely with a consortium of clinical proton therapy centers to guide the definition and pre-clinical testing phases of the project. Consortium members include Massachusetts General Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, and Indiana University’s Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI), in addition to the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute (UFPTI). "We are very excited to be working with Philips and the Proton Therapy Planning Consortium to advance oncology care technology,” said Jatinder Palta, Ph.D., professor and chief of physics, UFPTI. Philips is also collaborating with Toronto Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre on research to develop MR simulation and treatment planning software for greater therapy targeting accuracy in soft tissues such as the brain. In addition, Philips and RaySearch Medical of Stockholm, Sweden, have signed an agreement to expand the current IMRT optimization OEM relationship to focus on new areas such as biologically and image guided adaptive radiation therapy (ART). "This exciting project ultimately benefits patients because their treatment plans will be modified based on their specific reaction to care,” said Keith Tipton, general manager, oncology systems, for Philips Medical Systems. Finally, Philips and University Health Network announce a new OEM agreement to commercialize an electronic radiation therapy plan review and approval product. This functionality is currently in clinical use at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Toronto, supporting more than 50 Pinnacle3 workstations. The product offers the opportunity for paper-saving workflow efficiencies to Philips entire worldwide install base of more than 2,000 Pinnacle3 customers. For more information, please visit Philips booth # 1001 at the ASTRO Annual Meeting at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., November 5-9, 2006. 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 126,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of $37.7 billion (EUR 30.4 billion) in 2005, 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. 1 Some products referenced may not be licensed for sale in Canada.