Consumer electronics and healthcare equipment maker Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV (PHG) and medical imaging products maker Dilon Diagnostics Sunday said they entered into a distribution agreement, whereby Philips Healthcare would sell and support the Dilon 6800 gamma camera in key European and Middle Eastern markets.
The Dilon 6800 Gamma Camera is a high-resolution, compact gamma camera, optimized to perform Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging, or BSGI.
The compact camera technology and related products and services are used for the detection of breast cancer as an adjunct to mammography and serve to complement Philips women's health solutions, Dilon said.
BSGI is a molecular breast imaging procedure that images the metabolic activity of breast lesions through radiotracer uptake. It is an adjunct to mammography that can see lesions independent of tissue density and discover early stage cancers.
With BSGI, the patient receives a pharmaceutical tracing agent that is absorbed by all the cells in the body. Due to their increased rate of metabolic activity, cancerous cells in the breast absorb a greater amount of the tracing agent than other cells and generally appear as dark spots on the BSGI image. This will help doctors to make decisions about the presence of cancer in high-risk patients as well as for those having inconclusive mammograms.
According to Bob Moussa, President and CEO of Dilon Diagnostics, "Our partnership with a global leader in medical technology like Philips demonstrates a significant endorsement of MBI/BSGI technology and our company. By joining forces with Philips, MBI/BSGI is now an important element to a total women's health solution."
Patricia Venters, Vice President Women's Healthcare at Philips, said, "Molecular breast imaging is a clinically promising method for early breast cancer detection, to improve care for women who need diagnostic imaging beyond mammography. We are excited about our new alliance with Dilon Diagnostics, as it demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver the most advanced women's health solutions."
Philips will display its women's imaging technology, including the Dilon 6800, at the Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine in Barcelona, Spain from October 10 to October 14. Joint exhibition at this congress marks the launch of the partnership between the two companies.
PHG closed Friday's regular trade at $25.11, up $0.01 or 0.04%, on 492,111 shares.
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