Philips and Hansen logos

Royal Philips Electronics have joined hands with Hansen Medical, Inc. in order to develop a product which may aid in complex procedures of diagnosing and treating irregular heart beats or arrhythmias in cardiac patients.

According to the Heart Rhythm Foundation and the American College of Cardiology, an estimated 550,000 patient’s are diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmias in the U.S. every year. Cardiac arrhythmias may be the causal factor of heart failure or stroke in heart patients. It is stated that every year there are about an average of around 250,000 arrhythmias induced deaths.

The unison of these two stalwarts, Royal Philips Electronics and Hansen Medical, to develop integrated products may prove to be beneficial in simplifying difficult methods of diagnosing and treating arrhythmia patients.

Gerard Winkels, Vice President and General Manager, Electrophysiology for Philips Healthcare, says that, “This agreement is an important step in the development of our dedicated electrophysiology business program. By collaborating with best-in-class companies such as Hansen Medical we’re able to develop comprehensive solutions designed around the needs of the electrophysiologist.”

Gary Restani, President and COO of Hansen Medical, says, “We are very pleased about the relationship we have with Philips. We believe that combining our efforts will allow us to provide enhanced value and improved capabilities to our customers as this alliance is targeted at developing integrated solutions that will impact not only visualization, but also instinctive driving within 3D anatomical models.”

They hope to develop an integrated product by uniting Philips’ Allura Xper X-Ray system with Hansen Medical creation, the Sensei(R) Robotic Catheter System. They believe that their united efforts may yield in the development of a helpful creation which will help electro-physiologists to better conduct complex cardiac procedures in a more efficient manner.

The EP lab system, by Philips’, combines the Allura Xper X-Ray family with EP cockpit and EP navigator for an enhanced outcome. These latest inventions boast of simplifying complex procedures, enhancing lab environment and integrating the EP workflow process.

Hansen Medical’s Sensei system will permit and aid physicians in placing mapping catheters in places which are out of easy reach within the heart. With the new invention, this placement of mapping catheters within the heart is believed to be undertaken in a more precise, and stable manner in the course of cardiac arrhythmia procedures.