Philips Introduces New Obstetrical Care Fetal Monitors with Advanced Functionality and Documentation

Business Wire, Feb 2, 2006

ANDOVER, Mass. -- Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced its new line of obstetrical care fetal and maternal monitors, Avalon FM20 antepartum and Avalon FM30 intrapartum. Built on Philips industry-leading IntelliVue patient monitoring platform, the new Avalon fetal monitors feature enhanced functionality and documentation capabilities in a compact, ergonomic, and easy-to-use product. Both monitors can be used to monitor multiple births, with advanced features that include high-quality ultrasound tracing and cross channel verification, a Philips safety feature that reduces the risk of confusing maternal and fetal heart rate signals.

"Obstetrics commands the highest standards in patient safety and documentation," said David Russell, vice president of global marketing, patient monitoring, for Philips Medical Systems. "Our new fetal monitors are designed to help clinicians improve patient outcomes with reliable monitoring throughout a mother's pregnancy. Safety features like cross channel verification, and innovative functionality, including an easy-to-use interface with touchscreen operation and large, numeric, color screen displays, advance the care team's ability to provide high-quality care. With Philips history of innovation in obstetrical care solutions, this new product line exemplifies our continued commitment to innovation for clinicians and patients."

The Avalon FM20 antepartum monitor and the Avalon FM30 intrapartum monitors integrate monitoring of maternal blood pressure and pulse rate with measurement of multiple fetal heart rates and uterine activity. The Avalon FM30 covers patients from the onset of contractions through the final stages of delivery with its full set of external and internal fetal parameters, such as fetal heart rate via ultrasound or direct fetal ECG, and internal and external uterine activity. It also provides maternal monitoring capabilities such as non-invasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, ECG and heart rate.

Efficiently designed, the monitors are compact and easy to use. New high-performance functionality includes the capability to monitor triplets (not available in the U.S.) with high-quality three-channel ultrasound tracing and coincidence detection between all heart rate channels. Data from the monitors can be automatically transmitted to the Philips OB TraceVue obstetrical information system for comprehensive information management across the obstetrical care continuum, from the beginning of pregnancy to postpartum visits across multiple pregnancies.

Philips also announced the availability of its new fetal monitoring starter kits-- convenient, cost-effective packages of companion supplies for the Avalon FM20 and Avalon FM30.

Philips Medical System has a longstanding commitment to obstetrical care. In 1968, the company introduced the first non-invasive fetal monitor. Since then, obstetrical care teams have used Philips care solutions in hospital labor and delivery departments, offices and homes. Innovations like cordless transducers, twins and triplets monitoring, and cross-channel verification technology have positioned Philips as a leader in the obstetrical care market.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $37.7 billion (EUR 30.4 billion) in 2005. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 159,200 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.>

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