Philips launches VesselNavigator catheter navigation system

Philips has announced the launch of VesselNavigator, an innovative 3D navigation system for use in conjunction with interventional X-ray systems to guide catheters during the treatment of vascular disease.

Aiding minimally invasive treatment diseases such as aortic aneurysms, the system enhances the precision and accuracy of stent placement, while significantly reducing the need to use contrast media.

As a result, minimally invasive treatment options will be available to patients previously unable to benefit from new image-guided intervention techniques.

The new system was developed in collaboration with clinical partners such as the University Hospital Cologne and the University Hospital Ghent and has been shown to reduce contrast medium usage by 70 percent and procedure times by 18 percent.

Bert van Meurs, general manager for image-guided therapy at Philips, said: "The strong growth in image-guided therapy procedures is driven by the significant benefits they offer for healthcare systems and patients, including reduced patient trauma, shorter hospital stays and lower healthcare costs."

During the first quarter of 2015, the company achieved comparable sales growth of two percent, reaching a total of 5.3 billion euros (3.82 billion pounds).