At the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2008, Royal Philips Electronics today showcased the CX50 CompactXtreme, a recently developed handheld ultrasound system.

On show in Europe for the first time, it is able to deliver the image quality expected of a traditional, full-size system in even the most technically challenging investigations. Designed to deliver high-quality images at the bedside, the CX50 provides clinicians with the information they need to give an accurate diagnosis of the patient’s problem.

"This product has been developed in direct response to what clinicians have told us they need: a user-friendly, compact system for urgent, on the spot investigations. Very sick patients are often difficult to move – those on the critical and intensive care units may be attached to multiple tubes leading to ventilators, infusions, monitors and drug administration pumps. The CX50 provides a simple way to secure diagnostic quality images at the bedside saving valuable time, which in the treatment of critically ill patients is a very important factor," commented Joris van den Hurk, vice president of cardiology programs for Philips Healthcare.

A leader in cardiac ultrasound, cardiovascular X-ray, monitoring systems and automated external defibrillators, Philips is committed to a patient-focused approach to healthcare. By working with clinicians at the forefront of patient care, Philips develops the technological solutions to help them provide top quality care for their patients throughout the care cycle – from disease prevention through to screening, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and health management.