Philips Acquires Medical Image Guidance Company Traxal

Philips Healthcare (Best, The Netherlands) reported that it has acquired Traxtal, Inc. (Toronto, Canada), a medical technology company that develops minimally invasive instruments and software for image-guided intervention and therapy.

Traxtal's navigation solution functions as a global positioning system (GPS) for medical instruments, designed to make interventional radiology procedures more accurate while aiming to reduce contrast, radiation dose, and interventional time. Combined with Philips' strong presence in medical imaging, this acquisition enables Philips to become one of the leading healthcare solutions providers for image-guided procedures.

”Image-guided procedures are one of the most important breakthroughs in the healthcare industry in decades. This acquisition allows Philips to significantly enhance its abilities in this rapidly-emerging field, and will help us further realize our ambition to offer the best quality of care in the most efficient way possible,” said Steve Rusckowski, chief executive officer of Philips' healthcare sector.

”Philips is already a leader in providing solutions that enable the opening of obstructed arteries under X-ray guidance. The acquisition of Traxtal, with its innovative technologies in image-based navigation, opens up great opportunities for further cutting edge, minimally-invasive intervention and therapy solutions in combination with our other leading diagnostic and imaging products in ultrasound, CT [computed tomography], and MR [magnetic resonance]. This is consistent with our care cycle approach in key strategic areas such as women's health, oncology, and cardiology, extending our solutions beyond diagnosis into image guidance and therapy,” Mr. Rusckowski continued.

Traxtal complements Philips' products in the area of minimally invasive procedures. Traxtal's navigation solution displays, during the procedure, the instrument's position, orientation, and trajectory on medical images such as ultrasound or CT. An example is the radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors--during this procedure Traxtal's PercuNav system helps guide and monitor the positioning of the ablation needle towards the center of the lesion.

Traxtal is a developer and manufacturer of computer-assisted soft tissue navigation technologies. Traxtal was founded in 1996 to develop advanced instrumentation for image-guided intervention. Philips has had a partnership with Traxtal to provide integrated soft tissue therapeutic and diagnostic navigation solutions since 2006. Traxtal will become part of the ultrasound business within the Philips Healthcare sector. Financial details of this agreement were not disclosed.

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