Philips Launches Next-Generation 'Elevate Plus' for EPIQ Elite and Affiniti Ultrasound Series

Philips Japan (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Misako Abe; hereinafter "Philips") will begin sales of the EPIQ Elite/Affiniti ultrasound diagnostic series "Elevate Plus" on May 26 (Tuesday).

Ultrasound examinations are widely used in clinical practice due to their real-time and non-invasive nature. However, image acquisition and evaluation are often dependent on the operator's skill, posing challenges for objectivity and reproducibility. Philips has been pursuing the reduction of operator variance and stable image quality and diagnostic support by leveraging automation and advanced image processing technology.

The newly launched EPIQ Elite/Affiniti series "Elevate Plus" is the latest generation of high-end systems that enhance the existing Elevate platform with new automation features and image processing technology to support improved examination efficiency and diagnostic support. The accent color on the operation screen has also been updated from amber to a modern blue, enhancing the consistency of the user interface across Philips' entire ultrasound series.

With the concept of "more comfortable and more premium," "Elevate Plus" addresses today's challenges such as the increase in examination volume and personnel shortages. It supports further improvements in examination efficiency and diagnostic support through comfortable operability that reduces examination stress and the provision of consistently high-quality images.

## Main Product Features of Elevate Plus

### 1. Image Quality (IQ) Improvement with "xRes Pro+"
"xRes Pro+," which supports high-resolution tissue visualization, enables precise, shape-adaptive image processing based on tissue shape through advanced post-processing technology. By clarifying structural boundaries and improving sharpness, it contributes to improved boundary visibility and detection of subtle anatomical changes, especially in breast, thyroid, and musculoskeletal regions. Furthermore, it dynamically optimizes imaging parameters according to the patient's physique and imaging depth, achieving uniform and natural texture expression from shallow to deep areas, thereby supporting stable, high-quality image acquisition.

### 2. "Auto Cine" Automation Feature Supporting Clear Still Image Preservation
When freezing a screen, it may stop on an unintended frame, requiring the operator to manually rewind the cine loop to select the optimal frame. "Auto Cine" streamlines this process by automatically selecting and freezing a clear image from the preceding cine loop when freezing in 2D and color Doppler modes. For 2D, it selects a sharp, blur-free frame; for color Doppler, it analyzes the fill and intensity of blood flow signals to select a frame where the vessel is well-filled with color. This reduces operator stress and contributes to the preservation of consistently high-quality images and increased diagnostic reliability.

### 3. Next-Generation Analysis for Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS): "Super Resolution Micro Vascular Imaging (MVI) Pro"
Applying super-resolution processing technology from fluorescence microscopy, the high-resolution integration technology "Super Res MVI" for CEUS has been further expanded and evolved into "Super Resolution MVI Pro." In addition to the Time of Arrival (TOA) of the contrast agent, it now includes a new Time to Peak (TTP) parametric map, which indicates the timing when the contrast agent reaches maximum concentration within the lesion and parenchyma. Combining TOA and TTP aims to support more accurate evaluation of lesion types. Furthermore, quantitative analysis is now possible, providing detailed metrics such as arrival time, peak time, mean value, standard deviation, pixel count, and frame number for arbitrarily set ROIs, assisting in the assessment of tumor types.

Product Name: Ultrasound Diagnostic Equipment EPIQ/Affiniti
Medical Device Certification Number: 225ADBZX00148000
Specified Maintenance Medical Device / Controlled Medical Device