April 30, 2024

Philips AI-enabled diagnostic and experiential technologies help put patients at ease while empowering staff with faster, high-quality scans and increased diagnostic confidence

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Miami, US – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and Nicklaus Children’s Health System, a nationally recognized leader in pediatric care, today announced a 10-year long-term strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing the patient and staff experience, enhancing outcomes and driving innovation in pediatric care. Serving over 500,000 patients a year, Nicklaus Children’s will adopt Philips technologies such as the Ingenia Ambition X MR and EPIQ CVx ultrasound, with AI-enabled radiology workflow solutions to reduce exam times and the need for rescans, while increasing diagnostic confidence, resulting in faster diagnosis and treatment for patients. The addition of patient experience technologies such as Philips Ambient Experience, Kitten Scanner and Scan Buddy App, will help put patients at ease during MRIs by showing them what to expect [1] and empowering them during the scan to help reduce the need for sedation [2] and further shortening exam times. 

Nicklaus Children’s will be the first mobile adoption of the virtually helium-free [3] Philips Ambition X MR, which never needs Helium refilling, and can be discharged or re-energized quickly utilizing the EasySwitch solution, which allows for a controlled ramp down of the magnet, minimizing patient disruptions. With the addition of advanced SmartWorkflow and SmartSpeed MR technologies, staff can automate exam set-up and speed up exam time by up to 65% [4]. Experiential technologies such as the Philips Scan Buddy app, let patients learn about the MR procedure at home with playful characters, educational videos and games. Within the exam area, kids can play with the Kitten Scanner, a miniature MR that allows them to discover how it works. Finally, within the exam room itself, the Philips Ambient Experience with dynamic lighting, video projection, and sound further empowers children and helps put them at ease. Giving kids a sense of control over the situation improves the chance of a successful procedure and helps reduce the need for sedation. 

“Philips shares our commitment to innovation, and patient safety and quality, and has taken the time to understand our care goals and the unique Nicklaus Children's experience we work to deliver,” said Matthew A. Love, president, and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “This means understanding that you cannot just make a smaller version of an adult radiology solution for our patients, and that sick kids don’t necessarily stay still for studies. More importantly, if we can make things fun and give each child confidence about the procedure, we can alleviate some of the stress they and their families may be feeling as part of the treatment process.”

Nicklaus Children’s will enhance its cardiac care with the Philips EPIQ CVx and Compact 5500CV AI-enabled ultrasound systems which automate measurements and strain quantification to reduce quantification time by 51% [5] and help sonographers reduce exam time for 2D imaging by 20% [6] while reducing inter-operator variability. TrueVue imaging technology will help interpretation of structural heart disease progression and communication between echocardiographers and interventionalists, providing crucial clinical information, further increasing diagnostic confidence for improved procedure guidance and patient outcomes. 

“Nicklaus Children’s understands that it isn’t just about the technology, it is about creating a healthy future for every child, giving their families and their staff the most precious commodity there is – time,” said Jeff DiLullo, Chief Region Leader for Philips North America. “This is why we develop these systems end-to-end with the smallest of patients in mind, working with child psychologists, not just engineers, to understand how we can improve their experience. Nicklaus Children’s is one of the best pediatric health systems with the highest survival rates in the nation, and if we can help their clinicians with pediatric coaching solutions and AI-enabled solutions to quickly find the answers they need to deliver exceptional outcomes, we can also give families hope.”

[1] Scan Buddy: A Gamified App to Prepare Children for an MRI Scan | SpringerLink
[2] Kitten Scanner reduces the use of sedation in pediatric MRI (sagepub.com)
[3] BlueSeal contains only a fraction of the liquid helium (< 0.5% or 7 liter)* *Compared to the Ingenia 1.5T ZBO magnet
[4] Compared to examinations without SmartSpeed imaging
[5] VM9 claims document 270472
[6] VMQ9.0 Claims Evidence Report

For further information, please contact:

Mark Groves
Philips External Relations
Tel.: +31 631 639 916
E-mail: mark.groves@philips.com

Silvie Casanova
Philips North America
Tel: +1 781 879 0692
Email: silvie.casanova@philips.com

Nathalie Medina
Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Tel: 305 663-8556
Nathalie.Medina@Nicklaushealth.org

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately 69,100 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Nicklaus Children’s Health System: Where Children Matter Most

Nicklaus Children’s Health System (NCHS) is the parent organization of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children. The 307-bed nonprofit hospital was founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International and is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. The health system also includes Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation, the organization's 501c3 fundraising arm; a network of nonprofit outpatient and urgent care centers situated in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties; a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary; and an ambulatory surgery center. NCHS is the region’s only healthcare system exclusively for children.