“China Strategy 2.0” Implementation: Philips Cardiovascular Imaging and Intervention Demonstrates Large-Scale Innovation

According to the "Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China 2024" released by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, it is estimated that there are approximately 330 million prevalent cases of cardiovascular disease in China, with cardiovascular diseases remaining the leading cause of death among both urban and rural residents. Based on data from Frost & Sullivan, the volume of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures in China is projected to approach 4.3 million by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 14.5% from 2024 to 2030.

Amid a vast patient population, the incidence of complex conditions such as complex coronary artery disease and structural heart disease continues to rise, leading to increasingly challenging interventional procedures. This trend not only tests the allocation and supply of medical resources in China but also imposes more stringent performance requirements on imaging and interventional systems.

For medical device companies, relying solely on hardware upgrades is no longer sufficient to meet the multi-layered and highly complex clinical realities in China. Truly effective medical innovation requires a deep understanding of the genuine needs at the frontline of clinical practice, allowing technologies to be refined and validated through real-world cases. It also necessitates the development of platform-based diagnostic and therapeutic solutions to enhance surgeons' operational precision and their decision-making capabilities for complex pathologies.

As a global leader in cardiovascular imaging and interventional solutions, Philips' strategic approach offers valuable insights for the industry. Recently, VCBeat engaged in an in-depth dialogue with Philips to analyze the core components of its "China Strategy 2.0" and explore the opportunities and challenges facing the image-guided interventional sector in China.

Cardiac interventional procedures are complex due to the high prevalence of intricate lesions, such as vascular tortuosity, calcification, and occlusion. During these procedures, physicians must simultaneously integrate multi-source information, including angiography, intravascular imaging, and hemodynamic functional assessments. Furthermore, given the heart's continuous beating motion, it is essential to balance image quality with the reduction of radiation exposure to both patients and operators.

To address this clinical dilemma, Philips has adopted a strategy centered on establishing an integrated solution that revolves around intraoperative workflows, encompassing the entire process of "decision-making, navigation, treatment, and verification." By integrating all information in the background, physicians benefit from a seamless and coherent workflow, eliminating the need for frequent screen interactions. This leads to more precise decision-making and significantly reduced procedure times. As physicians can dedicate more time to patients on the operating table, patient outcomes are consequently improved. Currently, in the field of image-guided therapy, Philips is the only company in the industry offering an integrated suite of imaging systems, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic devices. Its core therapeutic platform, Azurion, is now widely used in complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and interventional procedures for structural heart disease (SHD). These two types of interventions represent two cutting-edge directions in the field, characterized by higher technical barriers and greater reliance on image guidance.

In complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), vascular tortuosity, calcification, or occlusion increase the difficulty of guidewire crossing, device delivery, and precise stent deployment. Philips covers every key decision point in the procedural workflow with its technology chain: from visualizing the vascular pathway and determining the need for intervention, to assessing intravascular conditions and managing complex lesions, and finally to navigating device advancement and confirming stent implantation outcomes.

In this scenario, Philips' next-generation IntraSight Plus intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) diagnostic system fulfills the critical role of "clear visualization and accurate assessment." It seamlessly integrates three core diagnostic elements—intravascular imaging, hemodynamic functional assessment, and angiographic results—onto a single screen in real time. This enables precise correlation of lesion location, vessel morphology, and hemodynamic changes, allowing physicians to formulate accurate strategies for complex percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) without repeatedly switching between multiple displays. Furthermore, the system is deeply integrated into the Philips interventional catheterization laboratory ecosystem, intelligently collaborating with the Azurion platform to streamline workflows, reduce operational asteps, and enhance procedural continuity and efficiency.

In interventional procedures for structural heart disease (SHD), clinicians must not only thoroughly understand the patient's individualized three-dimensional anatomy preoperatively, but also assess in real time the spatial alignment between the implanted device and the target anatomical structures during the procedure.

To address this challenge, the VerSight Pro single-use intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter (3D ICE) integrates 3D ultrasound imaging capabilities into a 9F-sized catheter. It enables real-time 2D and 3D intracardiac imaging via a femoral venous approach, reducing the need for general anesthesia with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in certain interventional procedures for structural heart disease, thereby providing an optimized intraoperative imaging guidance solution for such interventions.

From every key decision point in PCI to preoperative planning, intraoperative navigation, and intracardiac visualization for SHD, Philips has systematically innovated and integrated physicians' interventional workflows through multi-point innovations in the interventional field.

Furthermore, each complex surgical procedure generates a substantial volume of data. Philips collaborates with local hospitals and industry partners to build a data ecosystem and co-develop AI algorithms. Leveraging accumulated valuable data, clinical experience, and insights, Philips ultimately further optimizes workflows, thereby completing an innovation closed loop.

At Xiamen University Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital (hereinafter referred to as "Xiamen Heart Center"), medical-enterprise collaborative innovation is demonstrating new vitality.

Established in 2001, this specialized cardiovascular hospital has become a sub-center of the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and a National Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Diseases jointly established by the National Health Commission and the Fujian Provincial Government. It is also the only public Grade A tertiary specialized cardiovascular hospital in Fujian Province. In the national performance assessment of public hospitals, Xiamen Heart Hospita's Case Mix Index (CMI) has ranked second nationwide in the "Other Specialty Surgery Group" for multiple consecutive years, second only to Fuwai Hospital, with more than 70% of its patients coming from outside Xiamen.

Philips' collaboration with Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital (Xiaxin) goes beyond equipment procurement. As a participating partner in the hospital's Phase I construction project (South Campus), Philips brought its global expertise in hospital planning, medical workflow optimization, patient experience design, and digital transformation to Xiaxin, engaging in hospital design and consulting services. Through "Co-Creation Workshops," Philips worked alongside the hospita's management and clinical teams, leveraging design thinking as a tool to jointly explore innovative models that balance clinical value, patient experience, and operational efficiency.

Medical-engineering collaboration extends beyond the use of equipment in the operating room; it must be extended forward to hospital planning and process design to maximize the value of the hardware itself.

Xiamen Heart Center routinely performs high-complexity valve intervention procedures such as TAVR and TEER, with its technical expertise and procedural volume ranking among the top in China. It is one of the first batch of national Interventional Centers for Valvular Heart Disease. The number of transcatheter tricuspid valve clipping procedures performed at the center ranks among the highest nationwide, and it has achieved global breakthroughs in innovative cardiovascular interventional technologies, including robot-assisted transcatheter mitral valve repair.

Leveraging a vast repository of real-world complex cases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital actively promotes the research, development, and translation of innovative domestic medical devices. It has successfully facilitated the market launch of three cardiovascular interventional device products and promoted the application of Chinese-made devices in more than ten overseas countries. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Xiamen Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and the Haicang District Government, the hospital co-established the Xiamen Institute of Health Engineering and Innovation, thereby constructing a complete ecosystem encompassing "clinical demand-driven innovation, scientific research breakthroughs, achievement translation, and industrial agglomeration."

The export of international expertise is also underway. The "Xinmiao Visiting Scholar Program," launched by the China International Development Cooperation Agency at the United Nations Headquarters in April 2023, has been included in the Global Development Project Pool. It recruits young cardiovascular physicians from Belt and Road Initiative countries and BRICS nations to undertake advanced training in Xiamen, having successfully trained participants from 19 countries. Upon returning home, many of these scholars have become key professional leaders, maintaining ongoing collaboration with Xiamen Heart Hospital through surgical guidance, case discussions, and inter-institutional partnerships.

Beyond the cardiovascular field, Philips also revealed in an interview a range of cutting-edge innovations set to debut at the 2026 China International Import Expo (CIIE). Dozens of innovative products covering screening and precision diagnosis, interventional therapy, critical care, full-lifecycle equipment services, as well as personal health and respiratory health management, will be showcased at the CIIE, helping to address real-world clinical challenges in China's healthcare settings.

In the field of MR, Philips has advanced helium-free technology to a higher-field 3.0T platform. Its world's first helium-free 3.0T MRI system (currently under NMPA registration) leverages the BlueSeal platform. Through innovative magnet structure, support and positioning mechanisms, and sealed cryogenic design, it maintains system stability with minimal liquid helium usage. This significantly reduces reliance on scarce liquid helium resources while ensuring the image quality, operational stability, and clinical efficiency required for high-end MRI systems.

In the CT segment, Philips has recently launched the fully AI-driven Ultra-Precision Photon-Counting Metabolic CT, Verida, which has received NMPA approval and will make its debut at this year's CIIE.

As the world's first detector-based AI CT, Verida has built a full-stack AI imaging system from the ground up, spanning from detectors to algorithms and from chips to computing power. This breakthrough overcomes the "impossible triangle" of traditional CT, which struggles to simultaneously achieve high-definition imaging, ultra-low dose, and precise energy discrimination. Under MITA phantom testing and specified scanning and reconstruction conditions, Verida achieves an 80% reduction in radiation dose, a 53% improvement in quantitative energy accuracy, a 100% increase in effective resolution, and a 426% enhancement in image contrast. Verida supports a wide range of clinical scenarios, including comprehensive one-stop cardiovascular assessment, precision diagnosis throughout the entire tumor care pathway, ultra-early diagnosis and treatment of stroke, rapid decision-making during the golden window in emergency care, and ultra-low-dose green screening for health check-ups. It is propelling CT imaging toward integrated assessment of structure, function, and metabolism.

From Philips' current product strategy, it is clear that the company no longer pursues technical specifications under laboratory conditions alone. Instead, it adopts a more clinically oriented approach, considering whether its products can adapt to real-world clinical environments, including hospital operational and maintenance conditions, current resource availability, and actual patient flow and needs.

After all, with innovative technologies emerging in rapid succession, medical devices can truly establish a foothold in the Chinese market only by better aligning with actual clinical needs, benefiting a broader population, and maximizing value creation.