Philips Korea said Wednesday that it would showcase the company’s broad ultrasound portfolio for clinical settings at the 39th Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES 2024) at COEX, southern Seoul, from Thursday to Sunday.

The medical field strives to realize precision medicine based on rapidly advancing technologies. The ultrasound field is also evolving with this trend, actively utilizing advanced technologies for accurate diagnosis. In recent years, large medical institutions and small- and medium-sized hospitals have been making efforts to improve the quality of ultrasound care by reorganizing their systems and introducing advanced equipment.

The company said that at KIMES 2024, Philips will showcase its broad ultrasound portfolio for various clinical specialties under the theme "Better Life, Better Future."

It added that Philips will also unveil a new portable ultrasound device for the first time in Korea, incorporating the company's latest technologies to help improve clinician work efficiency and clinical utilization.

For instance, Philips will unveil a new ultrasound machine, Compact 5500, for the first time in Korea at KIMES.

Compact 5500 can be used in various hospital clinical departments, including emergency departments, intensive care units, and angiography departments. It is designed similarly to Philips' high-end ultrasound machine EPIQ Elite. The company said that the control panel and touchscreen of the Compact Series are located in the same position as the Epic Elite, making it easy for healthcare providers who are used to using Philips equipment to familiarize themselves with the device and feel comfortable using it.

The biggest advantage of the Compact 5000 Series is that the probes are compatible with Philips Epic Elite devices, the Affinity Series, and the Compact Xtreme50 (CX50), which is optimized for emergency diagnostics. Typical compatible probes include the C5-1 for abdominal diagnostics and the eL18-4 for musculoskeletal and vascular diagnostics. It said that this wide range of compatible probes allows hospitals to manage their equipment more efficiently.

Philips’s Affinity Series of general-purpose ultrasound machines share the company’s latest technologies and platforms implemented in high-end products, making them universally applicable in various clinical areas. At KIMES, the Philips Affinity Series was also upgraded to VM 10.0, which includes many features to improve image quality.

The AutoSCAN function, which enables high-resolution imaging, applies a new algorithm to every pixel in the image to improve image clarity. In particular, the Flow Viewer feature in VM 10.0 visualizes color flow Doppler imaging in 3D for an intuitive understanding of blood flow. The 3D image of complex hemodynamic patterns allows for a more intuitive view of overlapping vessels and helps with blood vessel positioning.

In cardiac diagnostics, Philips’s latest AI technology is incorporated into several automated cardiac assessment solutions to help doctors work more efficiently and diagnose faster. The Auto Strain function, which can evaluate and analyze the myocardial muscles of the heart, provides a variety of numerical values, such as Global Longitudinal Strain, at a glance through three basic images acquired by ultrasound examination, providing an easy and fast examination experience for medical staff.

Starting with version 10.0 of the Affinity Series VM, the mC12-3 pediatric diagnostic probe, a micro-convex probe, is now available. The ergonomic design is sized to fit pediatric body types. It supports Philips' latest Purewave transducer technology and MicroFlow Imaging technology, enabling viewing microvessels and blood flow in tiny lesions for greater tissue clarity during examination.

Philips is also unveiling the EPIQ Elite, a high-end ultrasound machine enhancing diagnostic capabilities. Like the Affinity Series, it features VM 10.0, with enhanced AutoSCAN and Flow Viewer functionality. In addition, a new probe from Philips (mL26-8) can now be attached, further enhancing diagnostic capabilities over previous models. The mL26-8 probe is a high-frequency (High Mhz) probe with excellent resolution of superficial organs. According to the company, it can be utilized in various clinical areas, from small body parts to the musculoskeletal system, as well as breast and thyroid diagnostics.

Philips Korea added that Lumify, Philips's app-based mobile ultrasound that connects directly to smartphones and tablets, will also be on site. It features a Pulsed Wave Doppler function for blood flow assessment, further enhancing its diagnostic utility.