Royal Philips announced the launch of the EPIQ Elite ultrasound system, a new premium ultrasound that combines the latest advances in transducer innovation and enhanced performance to improve clinical confidence and the patient experience. EPIQ Elite offers a range of diagnostic ultrasound solutions tailored to the needs of specific medical specialties, including Philips’ first solution for vascular assessment and diagnosis. In addition, EPIQ Elite for Obstetrics & Gynecology delivers extraordinary image quality and lifelike 3D scans to provide advanced fetal assessment during all stages of pregnancy.
 
“Our new portfolio of dedicated systems and solutions based on the EPIQ Elite combines new display technology, innovative transducers, advanced software, and enhanced processing power,” said Jeff Cohen, General Imaging and Women’s Healthcare Ultrasound Business Leader, Philips. “With one in four stroke cases caused by vascular disease of the carotid artery in the neck, vascular health is a growing concern worldwide¹. Ultrasound is the ideal imaging technology to help clinicians make a more precise diagnosis, which is why today we’re announcing our first dedicated solution for vascular assessment and diagnosis.”
 
Vascular Assessment Powered by World’s First xMATRIX Linear Transducer
The Philips Ultimate Ultrasound Solution for Vascular Assessment provides superb insight into the progression of vascular disease. It combines 3D and 4D imaging, a breakthrough simplified workflow and complementary clinical tools to effectively assess and monitor vascular disease. Philips’ innovative xMATRIX transducer can produce extraordinary 3D vascular images, allowing clinicians to easily see directly into a vessel to evaluate plaque spatial location and composition, as well as view 3D flow data to quickly assess stenotic conditions. In addition, the solution includes live ‘xPlane’ imaging—proprietary to Philips—allowing clinicians to acquire two planes simultaneously to improve accuracy of data collection and reduce exam time by 20percent². Icon-driven visual workflow makes 3D imaging easier, reducing the steps that the clinician needs to take from 10 to one². Bringing 3D and 4D visualization to vascular ultrasound for the first time, this solution provides an ideal communication tool to facilitate clinical decisions and enhance patient consultation. 
 
“Not much has changed in vascular ultrasound until this release of the ultimate ultrasound solution for vascular assessment,” said Muhammad Hasan, MBBCh, RPVI, RVT, RDCS, RDMS, Manager, Departments of Echocardiography and Noninvasive Vascular Testing, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Baptist Hospital of Miami. “The combination of a new transducer and advances in software makes the assessment and diagnosis of vascular conditions through easy to interpret images. There is now a case to be made for ultrasound solutions to be used as a potential alternative to other imaging modalities in the current standard of care.”
 
Tailored solution for Obstetrics & Gynecology to more confidently assess fetal health
Improving the early detection of birth defects and potential complications can enhance decision-making and treatment options, supporting improved care for at-risk newborns and their mothers. The EPIQ Elite for Obstetrics & Gynecology combines with innovative transducers and software to offer an integrated solution that enhances fetal assessment and meets the specific needs of obstetrics patients during the early stages of pregnancy. 
 
The ergonomic, lightweight V9-2 transducer is the first high-frequency PureWave transducer focused on getting fine detailed images as early as possible to help clinicians easily perform confident assessments of fetal health. Paired with TrueVue, the EPIQ Elite system allows clinicians to manipulate a virtual light source around the 3D images of the fetus, producing images that are both incredibly lifelike and that provide a high level of detail to enable the identification of any abnormalities early on in pregnancy. The Philips aBiometry Assist application uses anatomical intelligence to automate time spent gathering measurements, reducing exam time to allow clinicians to spend more time with mothers-to-be.
 
“The high-resolution images I’m able to acquire using the V9-2 and eL18-4 PureWave transducers give me the ability to quickly evaluate a baby’s early development. With exceptional 2D and 3D resolution and excellent depth penetration, I can make more confident fetal health assessments during each trimester,” said Luis F. Goncalves, MD from Phoenix Children’s Hospital. 
 
The EPIQ Elite for Obstetrics & Gynecology will be showcased at the upcoming Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) conference (Las Vegas, Nevada, February 13-15). The EPIQ Elite for General Imaging, including the Ultimate Ultrasound Solution for Vascular Assessment, will be showcased at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) (Vienna, Austria February 28—March 3).

References
¹ Belch JJ, et al. Critical issues in peripheral arterial disease detection and management: a call to action. Arch Intern Med 2003 28;163(8):884-92. 
² Report: EPIQ Ultrasound Marketing Claims Evaluation Study, September 10, 2018, Philips.