Philips has received regulatory approval in the United States for Elevate Plus, an extension of its ultrasound platform featuring AI-driven automation and advanced imaging. The technology is available for the EPIQ Elite and Affiniti ultrasound systems and is designed to help healthcare professionals obtain consistent, high-quality ultrasound images more quickly. According to Philips, this contributes to standardised examinations and can reduce the number of repeat scans.
Elevate Plus has both a CE mark and FDA 510(k) clearance. The software automates parts of the ultrasound workflow and helps users produce consistent images, regardless of their experience or workload. Philips states that this increases confidence in examination results and helps healthcare teams work more efficiently at a time when demand for care is rising and staff shortages persist.
“With Elevate Plus, we are emphasising our commitment to further developing AI-assisted ultrasound, so that healthcare professionals can provide patients with more consistent, efficient and reliable ultrasound care,” says Jie Xue, Chief Business Leader for Precision Diagnosis at Philips. Xue states that the combination of intelligent imaging and AI-driven workflow automation should contribute to more standardised ultrasound examinations, a more efficient workflow and faster, better-informed clinical decision-making in the face of growing demand for care.
Performing abdominal measurements during ultrasound scans is labour-intensive, and the results can vary depending on the user. The Auto Measure Abdomen feature, part of Elevate Plus, uses AI to automate a number of routine measurement steps. According to Philips, this reduces variation between users and can shorten the time required for measurements, particularly in busy healthcare settings. The company also reports that, compared with manual measurements carried out by clinical experts, the automated measurements achieve an accuracy of over 93 per cent.
Reducing scan time
According to Gretchen Sammy, ultrasound manager at Boston Medical Centre, the automation of measurement tasks can reduce scan time by up to 30 per cent without compromising clinical accuracy. During the evaluation of Elevate Plus, she noted that the automated measurements consistently met users’ expectations, thereby saving time.
Koios’ AI decision support is now also integrated into the EPIQ Elite and Affiniti ultrasound systems. Whereas the software could previously only be used outside the ultrasound system, healthcare professionals can now assess breast abnormalities and thyroid nodules during the examination. According to Philips, the BI-RADS software provides an assessment of the risk of malignancy within seconds, whilst the TI-RADS application assists in the classification of thyroid nodules based on a large dataset of pathologically confirmed cases.
In addition, Elevate Plus includes improvements to imaging. For example, XRes Pro+ is designed to provide sharper tissue rendering and clearer delineation of anatomical structures. Super Res MVI Pro has been developed to make small blood vessels and blood flow more visible. According to Philips, this can contribute to more efficient examinations and reduce the number of repeat scans.
Remote security updates
According to Philips, the EPIQ Elite and Affiniti systems with Elevate Plus are designed as modular systems that can be expanded via software updates. Security updates can also be carried out remotely, which, according to the company, means the systems remain operational for longer without major disruptions to day-to-day operations. In addition, the ultrasound systems feature remote collaboration functions, enabling healthcare teams at different locations to work together.
Maria Cristina Chammas, director of the Ultrasound Department at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo, expects that the automation of measurement tasks using AI could reduce scan times without compromising clinical accuracy. According to her, this can improve workflow, reduce repetitive manual tasks and contribute to more consistent examination results across the team.
IntelliSite Pathology Solution
Earlier this year, Philips introduced IntelliSite Pathology Solution on HealthSuite, a cloud-based platform designed to help pathology laboratories transition to fully digital diagnostic workflows. Built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the solution enables secure storage, management and review of high-resolution pathology images while supporting remote collaboration between pathologists. According to Philips, the platform addresses growing challenges such as increasing image volumes, workforce shortages and the need for AI-ready infrastructure.
By reducing reliance on local IT systems, it offers scalable data management and easier integration of AI applications. The solution is part of the broader HealthSuite Integrated Diagnostics portfolio, which also includes cloud-based platforms for radiology and cardiology. Philips says connecting diagnostic data and workflows across specialties can improve collaboration, streamline diagnostics and support more data-driven, personalized care as healthcare organizations continue to expand their digital pathology capabilities.
