Press Release

Philips’ MRI System delivered to Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford through a hole in the hospital wall

 

Philips’ Achieva 3T MRI system was recently delivered to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford through a hole in the hospital wall.   The scanner was gently rolled round the hospital perimeter to where a section of the outside wall had been unbricked.   It was then carefully manoeuvred through a 1.9m opening in the wall of the hospital’s Radiology Department into the specially prepared room.

 

The scanner will provide clinicians with state-of-the-art technology, a key benefit being its resolution and speed, increasing patient comfort by reducing time spent in the scanner, as well as delivering outstanding image quality.   Investment in the new system will enhance the specialist diagnostic imaging service provided at the hospital for patients, both nationally and internationally.   

 

Consultant Radiologist Dr. Simon Ostlere comments, “We are investing in leading MRI technology which will keep us at the forefront of muscuoloskeletal diagnostic imaging.  The new 3.0 Telsa scanner will support the radiology team in delivering a speedy service and also improve the experience of our patients.”

 

Philips’ Achieva 3.0T enables clinicians to exploit the full power of ultra high-field MR imaging.  The most compact whole-body 3.0T system available, it provides an open patient architecture to enable care of patients without compromise on the range of applications and quality of imaging.  It incorporates Philips’ latest advances in MRI, offering a new level of clinical functionality.  At its heart is FreeWave, Philips’ fully digital broadband data acquisition system with scale multi-channel architecture.  Its digital broadband RF receivers enable FreeWave to handle any combination of up to 32 independent RF coil elements.

 

In addition, the Achieva comes with SmartExam, Philips’ unique and major innovation in MR workflow.  With SmartExam, clinicians and technologists are empowered with automatic planning, scanning and processing through a single mouse-click, increasing operator efficiency by up to 30 percent.  The new tool automatically identifies anatomical landmarks, and offers consistency and reproducibility of scan results, creating optimised scan quality.

 

The customisable system enables shorter total examination times for patients, while radiologists capture consistent reproducible results, without operator/patient variability.  Additionally, SmartExam has the flexibility to perform MR exams defined by the user, tailored to the user’s own conventions and practices.

 

The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre is one of the UK’s five specialist orthopaedic hospitals, providing both routine and highly specialised services.  Specialist services such as the treatment of bone infection and bone tumours and the rehabilitation of those with limb amputation or congenital deficiency, and those with neurological disabilities are provided for patients from across the UK and abroad.  The Hospital continues to maintain a distinguished medical and nursing tradition, stretching back to its founding in 1872. 

 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Steve Kelly, Director, Public Relations
Tel: +1 425-487-7479
E-mail: steve.kelly@philips.com

Ian Race, Senior Manager, Public Relations
Tel: +1 978-659-4624
E-mail:  ian.race@philips.com

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 133,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of US$42 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.