Philips

Philips is not just an international brand, but also a world-famous trademark whose products are sold on almost all continents. The production of this Dutch company has three directions, one of which is the manufacture of goods for the healthcare sector.

Philips brand history

The “birth” of Philips took place at the end of the 19th century – in 1891. The company was founded as a family business of father and son, Frederic and Gerard Philips, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. It all started with the production of electric lamps – the Philips family opened a small factory for this purpose, which employed only 10 people. After 4 years, the company expanded when the youngest, Anton Philips, joined the father and eldest son.

Already in 1898, it became clear that Anton’s appearance in a family business project was beneficial for business – at that time he signed a successful contract for the supply of a large batch of charcoal lamps intended to illuminate the Winter Palace of the royal family in Russia. After such an entry into the international market, the company gradually gained popularity not only within the Netherlands, but also abroad. Since 1916, the company has received from the queen the right to be called royal.

Until 1971, the management of the concern remained in the hands of the Philips family, the last at the helm was the son of Anton Philips Frederik.

The development of the medical field of work began during the First World War, in 1917. In wartime conditions, representatives of the medical sector of the state turned to Philips researchers with a request to establish a process for repairing damaged X-ray tubes. Previously, pipes were supplied from Germany, and naturally, during the war, no business could be carried out with the occupying country. It was this project that became the starting point for the creation of a new direction of the company’s work – Philips “Healthcare”.

Using its own technologies for working with electric lamps, the company was able to develop and produce tubes for X-ray machines of a quality similar to the German product.

Philips’ real breakthrough in the medical field was the introduction of the Rotalix X-ray tube in 1918, which had an image transmission quality unprecedented at that time.

In the future, after the war, the scientists and technologists of the company decided not to stop there, and continued their work for the benefit of the healthcare sector. Since 1918, the company’s scientists have registered a huge number of patents for various inventions, including those that played a significant role in the restoration of the European continent after the events of World War II.

The company continued to work on the improvement of X-ray systems. Until 1955, X-ray machines were fixed devices. It was Philips who started developing mobile-type X-ray machines, arc-shaped devices in the form of a crescent. Such devices could be moved in different directions without the patient having to move.

The concern continued to work on the improvement of diagnostic devices. In 1982, a system was developed for examining blood vessels in real time. In the process, the patient was intravenously injected with a contrast agent, and the X-ray machine gave a clear visualization of the circulatory system on the X-ray.

Since 1985, it has become possible to work with a digital image, thanks to which the accuracy of diagnostic devices has reached a qualitatively new level. For the first time such an imaging system was introduced by Philips.

Developments continued, the scientists of the concern presented new discoveries and inventions. In 2011, Philips was able to combine advances in positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to create a new and unique system for whole body diagnostics.

The company’s discoveries also include the AlluraClarity angiographic system, a diagnostic device that allows you to get a very accurate and clear image in real time during minimally invasive surgery.

The Philips Healthcare portfolio

The Philips concern is engaged in several industries:

• production of lighting devices;
• manufacturing of household appliances;
• developments in the field of medicine and health care.

The last area of ​​the company’s work is divided into many areas:

• US-diagnosis;
• molecular imaging;
• CT scan;
• electrocardiography;
• resuscitation and first aid;
• fluoroscopy and radiography;
• respiratory support for patients in the hospital;
• interventional radiology;
• radiation oncology;
• Magnetic resonance imaging.

Apparatus for ultrasound diagnostics

The concern develops devices that allow doctors to examine the condition of the mammary glands, blood vessels and heart, the musculoskeletal system, and also supplies doctors with devices for elastography, research in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, cardiology, ultrasound of a general nature, ultrasound during surgical interventions. The latest generation ultrasound systems from Philips – EPIQ 5, EPIQ 7, Affiniti 50.

Molecular Imaging

These devices are among the most modern devices for examining the human body, and allow simultaneous combined and radioisotope diagnostics, while exerting a minimum level of radiation exposure on the patient. Such systems have a 98 percent chance of detecting lesions in the body. In this industry, Philips introduces time-of-flight positron emission tomography (PET) systems, combined PET/MRI and SPECT/CT systems, digital combined tomographs are Vereos Digital PET/CT, Ingenuity TF series devices.

Computed tomography

Philips approached the issue of production of computed tomographs from an innovative point of view, and developed multislice CT scanners with an extended level of equipment with all modern technological solutions – these are the “families” iCT, Ingenuity, Briliance CT, IQon, MX, Access CT.

Electrocardiography

In this industry, the company offers physicians modern and high-precision systems, monitors and devices for ECG procedures: PageWriter TC30, PageWriter TC50, PageWriter TC70, PageWriter TC10 cardiographs.

Devices for resuscitation of patients and emergency care

Every physician understands the importance of resuscitation for a critically ill patient. Human life directly depends on how quickly and correctly medical care is provided to him. Accepting and appreciating all responsibility in this area, Philips has developed special devices and devices for emergency resuscitation, namely external automated defibrillators, and sensors for the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Digital radiography and fluoroscopy

Philips X-ray systems are highly configurable, so there is the right level of equipment for every budget and workflow, from small mobile units to complete X-ray systems and offices. In addition, the devices may have a remote control function. Among digital radiographers, the concern offers the DigitalDiagnost, CombiDiagnost R90, Juno DRF, FlexiDiagnost, SkyPlate wireless portable detectors. In the field of mobile radiology, the company’s developments are represented by MobileDiagnost Opta, MobileDiagnost wDR 2.1, MobileDiagnost wDR devices.

In addition, the brand has launched the production of ventilators, various types of patient masks (oronasal, full face, nasal), home or laboratory sleep diagnostic systems, oxygen therapy products, oral drug administration products, radiation planning and support systems. therapy, magnetic resonance tomographs and patient monitors, transcutaneous bilirubin measurement systems, and other medical devices designed to facilitate the work of physicians and save human lives. It should be noted that the brand also produces products for babies and their mothers – various devices for more convenient feeding, storage of products for children, pacifiers, products for nursing women.

The company is engaged in the repair, maintenance and support of the products sold.

Plants and production resources of the company

The activities of the Philips Healthcare brand cover almost the entire world. Plants and production facilities of the company are located in large quantities in Asia (China, Korea), as well as in European countries. In Eastern Europe, there are part-time factories where devices are directly assembled, the parts for which are produced at other Philips factories.

All scientific and practical work of Philips Healthcare is carried out in 4 directions:

• development of diagnostic and visualization systems;
• IT in medicine (clinical systems and medical informatics);
• service, warranty and repair;
• home health solutions.

The main scientific centers involved not only in production, but also in development, are located in the Netherlands (Heerlen and Best), in Germany (Hamburg and Böblingen), in Finland (Helsinki), in Israel (Haifa). A large number of divisions and productions are located in the USA.

Product quality control, its certification

The Philips Healthcare brand emphasizes to its consumers that it is responsible to them for the quality of products presented to the healthcare industry. The company is aware that doctors count on them and their products, and patients trust them with their lives.

In the process of manufacturing medical devices, from the development process to the installation of new equipment in a medical institution or at a customer’s home, the brand adheres to all international standards and regulations related to the regulation of the creation of medical devices. For Philips Healthcare, it is important not only to be able to bring innovative treatment and diagnostic solutions to life, but also to ensure the effectiveness, accuracy and safety of such solutions.

Strict quality control is present at the stage of developing technological proposals and products, in the processes of purchasing raw materials. The most automated systems operate at the company’s factories, which are constantly under the control and supervision of experienced engineers and technicians.

It should be noted that after the installation of the equipment, Philips does not consider that its mission is over – the company provides training and consulting for physicians who will work on this equipment, and also provides warranty service and technical support during the operation of the device.

The development process begins with market research and identifying customer needs. Representatives of the company communicate with medical workers, clarify with them the nuances of work, the current tasks of medical institutions, and the features of patient care. Creating an up-to-date and modern product is possible only taking into account all the needs of the category of consumers in the field of medicine.

In the process of organizing production, the company uses modern solutions, algorithms and technologies, such as a risk management system, analysis of the influence of the human factor, modeling, and audit.

The concern operates subject to the presence of a quality management system aimed at monitoring the compliance of scientific solutions and finished products with the needs and expectations of customers, as well as the regulatory framework at the international and national levels.

Philips Healthcare places the same high standards on all partners, distributors and carriers.

The stage of direct production of goods is accompanied by the use of various modern quality control methods – Lean Production, Six Sigma, and some others.

Each product goes through several stages of inspections and testing – control of safety, efficiency, performance, resistance to external influences.

After putting the equipment into operation, Philips Healthcare continues to monitor its operation, collects and analyzes information about the operation of the devices, about malfunctions that occur, and the need for repairs. The company monitors quality information from production sites and suppliers, evaluates and studies the degree of customer satisfaction, and monitors product reviews.

When service centers receive information about a malfunction, or directly faulty equipment, brand specialists are engaged in identifying the reasons that provoked the failure of the equipment.

In the background, the company analyzes the most frequently received requests for repair and service, offers surveys to new owners of equipment, analyzes and studies the nature of faults in devices returned under warranty.

Thus, the concern is engaged not only in the elimination of existing problems in the operation of its goods, which inevitably arise, but also in the prevention of the occurrence of similar problems and malfunctions in the following batches of similar goods, that is, it works ahead of the curve, as it should be in a modern, high-tech, customer-oriented , brand.

The quality of the products manufactured by the company meets the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization. Philips Healthcare has ISO certifications for its products, as well as certificates of compliance with quality management systems, industrial safety and labor protection in enterprises.

Group position in the global market

Philips is a high-tech, modern company whose goal is to improve people’s lives in all its aspects. Approximately 42% of all sales revenue for Philips comes from the direction of medical development. The brand’s assortment includes more than 450 products and services related to the installation, implementation and use of innovative products in medicine.

The company’s activities cover about 100 countries of the world, it employs more than 37 thousand employees. In addition to significant market coverage, Philips boasts a high level of customer confidence in its products. Philips Healthcare is one of the top XNUMX most sought after healthcare brands in the world. The company creates and implements new solutions for each stage of patient care, from diagnosis and screening to monitoring the patient’s condition at home.

The company is engaged in the development of equipment for various branches of medicine: for ultrasound diagnostics, radiography and fluoroscopy, computed and magnetic resonance imaging, cardiology, oncomedicine, perinatal medicine, gynecology, emergency care, resuscitation, as well as for patient care in a hospital, support for their livelihoods.

Over the past five years, the company’s annual sales have reached 9-10 billion euros, of which up to 10-15% is usually invested in research and development.

Brand affiliate programs cover thousands of companies – pharmaceutical companies, scientific laboratories, carriers, distributors, large corporations.

Among them are Fujifilm, Google, Teva, Accenture, Russian companies:

• ABC polyclinic network;
• LLC “Balt Medical”;
• LLC “Invamed”;
• ZAO “Delrus”;
• LLC “Likom”;
• OOO “KOMESA”;
• OOO “Leader”;
• LLC “Medinvest”;
• OOO “Prometheus”;
• LLC “Trading house” Pulse “.

In Azerbaijan:

• IHG MMC;
• бренд Alyans Medikal Nakl. Ins. Food Teks LTD.

In Armenia – MEDTECHSERVICE LLC.

Belarusian partners:

• Tangens Medical Technology Management and Holdings GmbH;
• Montex;
• OOO Diamedica;
• CJSC “Nikovila Medical”;
• LLC “Medtechnopark”

In the ranking of the most environmentally friendly companies in the world, the brand takes 50th place out of 14 nominees. The company’s products have repeatedly received awards and awards, including the Frost and Sullivan Best Practices Awards, and the FICCI Healthcare Excellence Award.

In 2010, the brand was honored several times:

• according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index – recognized as one of the leaders in the production of consumer goods;
• received the VBDO Responsible Supply Chain Management Award from the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development.

Awards for 2011:

• Gigaton award for the development of the EcoDesign concept;
• VBDO Responsible Supply Chain from the Dutch investor organization;
• Newsweek Green Rankings 2011 as the ninth greenest company in the world;
• Top 50 Best Global Green Brand award from Interbrand.

2012 year:

• Best Improvement in Patient Safety award;
• first place in the Newsweek Green Rankings 2012 in the industrial products category;
• Top 50 Best Global Green Brand award from Interbrand – 31 positions;
• VBDO Responsible Supply Chain for the fifth year in a row.

2013 year:

• another VBDO Responsible Supply Chain;
• the Crystal Award for the most transparent annual report on environmental pollution in the Netherlands;
• Top 50 Best Global Green Brand by Interbrand – 23rd position;
• Ranked 7th in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World’ by Corporate Knights.

2014 year:

• recognition as a global leader in climate change strategy CDP;
• 14th position in the Top 50 Best Global Green Brand by Interbrand;
• “Champion for Change” Award 2014 for innovative resource saving solutions.

2015 year:

• the best result in the CDP Climate Change category;
• “Champion for Change” Award 2015 – second year in a row;
• Energy Star Award for Sustained Excellence.

2016 year:

• third Champion for Change Award 2016 in a row;
• Recognized Leader – CDP on the carbon footprint.

Scientific and research activities

The brand’s level of scientific research pushes human capabilities to new heights every day.

Philips is a company that is working on creating a control system for various smart technologies using brain signals. This system can be very useful for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and other neuromotor pathologies. Those who, due to illness, are unable to cope with the simplest everyday tasks, such as turning on the light or adjusting the volume of the TV, and even communicating with relatives, got a chance for a higher quality of life.

To date, the first concept has already been developed, which has already been tested, and proved that external, wearable devices can be combined with digital innovations and achievements, and thus help a person with disabilities interact with the environment, and manage it using a special application for tablet for the patient. The invention makes it possible to communicate with relatives and control environmental objects without the use of voice or physical effort for people suffering from neuromotor diseases and lesions of the nervous system.

The firm has developed a navigation interface and built it into a patient wearable device, combining the interface itself with the latest smart technologies. Thanks to these devices, the user can transmit brain commands using thoughts or simple facial expressions – for this, a system of electroencephalography or electromyography tools is used in a special headset offered by the Emotiv brand.

The portable display shows the patient an interface for navigating the application. A person interacts with it using a sensitive screen that responds to the simplest brain commands. Philips and Accenture have jointly developed a smart digital application to operate the entire system. After connecting the device, the patient has the opportunity to turn on and off the lights, as well as Philips TVs, or seek medical help using only their thoughts.

This project is currently under development.

Another working scientific project of the concern is the creation of an open cloud medical platform with various applications for each stage of the patient cycle. The work is carried out in conjunction with Salesforce.com.

Speed ​​in patient care and medical care is one of the key factors. To facilitate the work of physicians, Philips and Salesforce.com offer the integration of Philips X-ray and MRI machines, along with patient monitors, into a single system that allows for instant exchange of clinical data about the patient. The information can be applied in the field of real-time interaction between doctors in relation to patients in medical institutions or at home.

For these purposes, it is planned to create a cloud medical platform for combining, organizing and storing information. The system will be equipped with APIs and SDKs to simplify the work of physicians.

To date, the specialists of the two companies have already presented the Philips eCareCoordinator application, which is necessary for the functioning of the system, and are gradually starting to introduce it among medical institutions.

And what about a device that will allow the doctor to monitor all the vital signs of the patient during the most complex operations, while not taking his eyes off the surgical field? Philips is working on such a product today. Together with the Google brand, using the Philips IntelliVue solution, the company created and presented the development concept of Google Glass, which seamlessly transmits information about the patient’s condition.

Such an invention will allow surgeons to have the necessary information in their heads at any time, and use it if necessary. The device, unveiled by Philips and Google, shows how valuable it is for medical professionals to be able to access critical data during surgery using voice control. In addition, Google Glass glasses will be useful for doctors during rounds.

So far, the concept is under development, and has already passed several tests in laboratory models of operating rooms. The glasses were tested by surgeons and anesthesiologists. In the process, all key data from the patient’s monitor is reflected on the screen of the medic’s glasses in real time. No trials have been conducted on real patients.

In addition, the company actively cooperates with scientific and public organizations in Europe, Asia, South and North America. For example, in Russia, Philips began equipping medical institutions with diagnostic equipment: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine devices, and ultrasound examination systems. About 20% of all medical institutions are equipped with their devices.

The company cooperates with leading medical specialists of Russia, helps doctors of the Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery named after A. B. Bakulev, the Cardiology Center of the RKNPC, and other scientific and medical institutions throughout the country. Since 2013, Philips has launched the first fully digital magnetic resonance imaging scanner in Russia in the Irkutsk Regional Consultative and Diagnostic Center.

In all countries where Philips products are supplied, the brand establishes reliable partnerships with leading public and private enterprises in the field of digital development, and works to increase the level of professional training of personnel. The company not only produces modern, high-tech equipment for the medical industry, but also conducts training courses for medical personnel who will use this equipment.

Throughout its history, Philips Healthcare has shown itself not only as one of the flagships of innovative discoveries and concepts, but also as a company with a clear public position.

The brand is engaged in social programs to improve the quality of life and the provision of medical services throughout the planet. The concern is engaged in relevant research. Its specialists presented the WWF Living Planet report, which examines the social, medical and economic indicators of the planet’s achievements, as well as the environmental situation in general. Thus, according to the report, it is expected that by 2050 the world’s population will cross the mark of 9 billion people, which means that the world economy will face resource shortage problems. Philips Healthcare works to develop sustainable innovative solutions to preserve the planet’s natural resources, meet the needs of people, improve the overall health and quality of life of the world’s population, and is developing various programs in this area, primarily the EcoVision program.

Environmental issues for the Philips brand are no less important than the introduction of new technologies into everyday life. Such a giant of production simply cannot remain aloof from the issues of maintaining a clean and environmentally friendly planet for all the next generations of people.

The company invests in the development of environmentally friendly products, and also takes the necessary measures to reduce the environmental impact of the production and transportation of goods. Philips pays a lot of attention to the Green Innovation program, as well as work on the creation of generations of Green Products and Green Technologies technology – this type of product has reduced energy consumption, and production processes are carried out with minimal emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Approximately 59% of the total sales volume is made up by the Green Products line.

In addition, the company collects and recycles used plastics for reuse, in order to reduce the production of new plastics.

Where to buy Philips products

Pharmacy WER.RU

The Wer.ru pharmacy assortment includes products for babies and their mothers: feeding bottles designed for different ages and different amounts of food, pacifier holders, bra inserts, nipple covers for nursing mothers, food storage containers, feeding kits baby, bags for collecting breast milk, pacifiers, breast pumps, bibs, and even baby monitors, in a word, all products designed to facilitate the care of a baby.

Zdravzona

The online pharmacy ZdravZona offers to purchase some baby products (pacifiers, drinkers, feeding bottles), as well as Philips medical equipment, such as an inhaler.

Byuteka

On the website of Butek, the buyer will pay attention to the assortment of the Avent children’s product line – here are nipples, pacifiers, teethers, spoons and bottles for feeding, drinkers. Breastfeeding mothers will find nipple covers and bra pads for themselves.

The Philips brand is on the list of world leaders in the production of home appliances, lighting products, medical equipment and devices. His activity, first of all, is a continuous process of scientific research, study, experimentation, development of concepts that 15 years ago seemed to belong to the realm of science fiction, and today they begin to work for the benefit of man.