New digital imaging-enabled operating theatres to boost efficiency and collaboration between surgeons and radiologists

MedTech News: Timing is critical when it comes to diagnosing and treating stoke patients. Every 30 minutes’ delay before treatment reduces the chance of a good outcome by 14%.

The Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) has taken delivery of Philips’ multi-million dollar Azurion biplane interventional neurosurgery platform following an earlier announcement made in August 2022.

The digital imaging-enabled operating theatres are predicted to boost speed, efficiency and collaboration between surgeons and radiologists. 

This world-class tech will centrepiece the Precinct’s new Image-Guided Surgery Training and Technologies Centre and will be led by by interventional neuroradiologists from Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH), Dr Hal Rice, Gold Coast Australian of the year 2022, and Dr Laetitia de Villiers.

The centre will be used to train Asia-Pacific specialists and pioneer new precision treatments for stroke, cancer, cardiovascular disease and spinal injuries.

The new facility will showcase Philips’ interventional solutions and trial new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and novel 3D printed anatomical models. It is set to open in March 2023.

The pilot centre is also being supported by NorthWest Healthcare Properties, the largest healthcare real estate owner, manager and developer in the region, ahead of moving into their state-of-the-art new building, ‘RDX Lumina’, on a prominent GCHKP site in the Lumina commercial cluster.

In 2021, fast-tracked under the NSW Government’s COVID-19 response, the state-of-the-art Central Acute Services Building – the centrepiece of the $1 billion+ Westmead Health Precinct – opened, featuring new digital imaging-enabled operating theatres and expanded imaging services.

Equipped with advanced medical imaging technology from Philips, the facility was reported to be Australia’s first for the Elition X dual entry intraoperative MRI machines, designed to provide and enhance speed and efficiency for critical neurology cases such as stroke and acute trauma where speed is crucial to the diagnosis and treatment of patients in critical condition. Additional diagnostic and image-guided therapy solutions included Philips’ Azurion Bi Plane and Azurion Flexmove as well as the DigitalDiagnost C90, Zenition 70 and wDR MobileDiagnost 2.1.

“It is very encouraging to see public health departments adopting technologies and workflows aligned to a more sustainable and robust healthcare future,” said Managing Director of Philips Australia and New Zealand, Matt Moran, at the time.

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