Philips launches RADIQAL trial to reduce radiation exposure in heart procedures

THE NETHERLANDS—Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology based in the Netherlands, has announced the launch of an important new clinical trial called RADIQAL (Radiation Dose and Image Quality Trial).

This study aims to evaluate whether a new ultra-low X-ray dose technology can significantly reduce radiation exposure during coronary artery procedures without compromising image quality or procedural performance.

The RADIQAL trial is a multicenter, randomized study sponsored by Philips. It plans to enroll 824 patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) across six hospitals located in Spain, the Czech Republic, and the United States.

The first patient was enrolled at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, marking the official start of the trial.

Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease worldwide, caused by chronic inflammation that narrows or blocks the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle.

A common treatment for CAD is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a minimally invasive procedure guided by live X-ray imaging to open blocked arteries and restore blood flow.

Dr. Javier Escaned, Professor of Cardiology at Hospital Clínico San Carlos and the principal investigator of the trial, emphasized the importance of reducing radiation exposure in interventional cardiology.

He explained that minimizing radiation is a key priority to protect both patients and medical staff, especially during complex procedures.

At the same time, it is crucial to maintain high-quality angiograms, particularly when using diluted contrast media in ultra-low contrast procedures.

 Dr. Escaned highlighted that the RADIQAL trial is designed to provide strong, real-world evidence on whether Philips’ new technology can achieve these goals.

The trial compares Philips’ latest ultra-low dose X-ray technology with the existing ClarityIQ technology, both integrated into Philips’ Azurion image-guided therapy system.

 The new technology features an ultra-low dose protocol specifically for coronary procedures, which can reduce X-ray radiation by up to 50% compared to the lowest settings currently available on Azurion systems with ClarityIQ.

This innovation has already received CE marking, confirming its compliance with the European Union Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR).

Dr. Darshan Doshi, Head of Medical & Clinical at Philips Image-Guided Therapy Devices and an interventional cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, added that reducing radiation exposure while maintaining or improving image quality is one of the most important goals in interventional cardiology today.

 He noted that cardiologists depend on low-dose, high-quality imaging to make confident decisions during numerous procedures every day.

 Additionally, for patients with higher body mass index (BMI) or complex conditions requiring multiple interventions, minimizing radiation exposure is especially critical.

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