Philips 2014 Annual Report Download - page 50

Sector performance 6.1.6
50 Annual Report 2014
Innovating on the ward
A unique partnership with a hospital in China has yielded astonishing
results in the eld of diagnostics, in a country with rising health problems,
where many specialists are unable to cope with increased workloads.
The huge West China Hospital in the country’s fourth
largest city, Chengdu, plays host to a ground-breaking
collaboration between doctors and engineers from
Philips. China accounts for half of all new cases of liver
cancer in Asia, but old cancer diagnostic technologies
involved complex and time-consuming invasive
procedures that presented risk to the patient and meant
their recovery times were lengthened.
The Philips ElastPQ is a non-invasive machine using
state-of-the-art ultrasound technology. It provides
medics with valuable data that can be used to
accurately diagnose liver cancer – both at a fraction of
the cost and at greater speed. However, it’s not simply
the innovation – the presence of Philips engineers on
site facilitates ongoing research and development in a
hospital setting. This continuous innovation is an
inspiring medical partnership where doctors and
engineers join forces to match technology with actual
clinical need. It’s leading to faster and more accurate
cancer diagnosis – with all the obvious benets that
entails for patients.
“Having joined forces (with Philips), we’re bridging the
gap to match technology with actual clinical need.
Today the focus is on liver cancer, but I hope to expand
the collaboration to other areas.” Dr. Yan Luo, Director
of the Ultrasound Department, West China Hospital