SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 25, 2025 – Royal Philips has initiated a major international clinical trial to evaluate its new ultra-low X-ray dose technology designed for coronary procedures. The RADIQAL trial aims to generate real-world evidence that the innovation can significantly reduce radiation exposure for both patients and clinical staff without compromising the image quality or procedural performance critical to interventional cardiology.
Strategic push for radiation dose reduction in cardiology
As a global leader in health technology, Philips is targeting one of the central challenges in image-guided therapy: how to lower radiation exposure during procedures like percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) while maintaining diagnostic confidence and procedural safety.
“The ability to reduce radiation exposure without compromising procedural performance is a key priority in interventional cardiology,” said Dr. Javier Escaned, Professor of Cardiology at Hospital Clínico San Carlos and principal investigator of the RADIQAL study. “It is also important to achieve high-quality angiograms when using diluted contrast media as part of ultra-low contrast procedures. RADIQAL is designed to generate robust, real-world evidence on whether Philips’ new ultra-low X-ray dose technology can reduce radiation exposure for patients and staff without affecting the quality of coronary procedures.”
Multicenter trial spans Europe and the United States
The prospective, randomized, unblinded, international, multi-center RADIQAL trial will enroll 824 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients across six hospitals in Spain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and the United States. The first patient was enrolled at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. The new imaging technology is integrated into the Philips Azurion image-guided therapy system and is compared directly with the company’s existing ClarityIQ platform.
Key trial features include:
- Evaluation of radiation dose, image quality, and procedural performance
- Direct comparison of ultra-low dose protocol vs. ClarityIQ within Azurion systems
- A target of 824 enrolled patients in leading cardiology centers
- CE-marked technology, already cleared under the EU MDR framework
- U.S. enrollment pending FDA clearance
Industry-wide relevance for coronary imaging
CAD remains the most prevalent form of heart disease globally, often treated using PCI procedures supported by advanced imaging systems like Azurion. Philips’ new protocol claims to cut X-ray exposure by 50% compared to even the lowest dose settings of ClarityIQ.
“Reducing radiation exposure while maintaining or improving image-quality is one of the most important innovation goals in interventional cardiology,” stated Dr. Darshan Doshi, Head of Medical & Clinical at Philips Image-Guided Therapy Devices and Interventional Cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Interventional cardiologists rely on low-dose, high-quality imaging for confident decision-making throughout multiple procedures each day. Also for patients, especially those with high BMI or with complex conditions requiring repeat interventions, minimizing radiation exposure is increasingly critical.”
Positioned to shape the next standard in image-guided coronary care
Philips is leveraging its leadership in image-guided therapy to reinforce its commitment to patient safety, procedural efficiency, and clinical performance. The RADIQAL study not only underscores the company’s innovation strategy but also positions it to set a new benchmark in radiation reduction technologies.
Learn more at www.philips.com