Philips introduces SmartIQ to address the trade-off between image quality and radiation dose in coronary procedures

Rhea-AI Summary

Philips (NYSE:PHG) introduced SmartIQ, a coronary imaging technology for Azurion systems, designed to improve image quality while optimizing radiation and contrast dose. An ultra-low dose protocol for coronary procedures employs over 50% less X-ray radiation than the lowest ClarityIQ settings.

SmartIQ is CE-marked and available on new and existing Azurion systems in Europe and selected markets, with initial pilot data suggesting higher image quality at maintained or reduced radiation and contrast dose. The ongoing RADIQAL trial has reached 60% enrollment; SmartIQ is not yet cleared in the United States.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Positive

• Ultra-low dose coronary protocol uses over 50% less X-ray radiation than lowest ClarityIQ settings
• Blinded pilot study suggests SmartIQ images were preferred and scored higher on image quality
• SmartIQ builds on ClarityIQ platform, previously associated with 23%–83% radiation exposure reductions
• RADIQAL trial has reached 60% of total enrollment and completed European site enrollment
• SmartIQ is CE-marked and available on new and existing Azurion systems in Europe and selected markets

Negative

• SmartIQ technology is not yet cleared for use in the United States
• Radiation dose reduction potential of SmartIQ remains under investigation in the ongoing RADIQAL trial

News Market Reaction – PHG

+3.25%

1 alert

+3.25% News Effect

On the day this news was published, PHG gained 3.25%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Radiation dose reduction: over 50% less X-ray radiation dose Radiation reduction range: 23% to 83% reduction Dose reduction Azurion M12: 58% reference air kerma reduction +4 more

7 metrics

Radiation dose reduction over 50% less X-ray radiation dose Ultra-low dose protocol for coronary procedures vs lowest ClarityIQ settings

Radiation reduction range 23% to 83% reduction ClarityIQ-associated exposure reductions across clinical areas

Dose reduction Azurion M12 58% reference air kerma reduction SmartIQ ultra-low left coronary 15 fps cine runs vs low ClarityIQ

Dose reduction Azurion M20 62% reference air kerma reduction SmartIQ ultra-low left coronary 15 fps cine runs vs low ClarityIQ

Frame rate 15 fps SmartIQ ultra-low left coronary cine run protocol

Trial enrollment progress 60% of total enrollment RADIQAL trial assessing SmartIQ vs ClarityIQ

Fluoroscopy limit <88 mGy/min Reference air kerma rate limit in FDA 21CFR1020.32 and IEC 60601-2-54

Market Reality Check

Price: $26.05 Vol: Volume 1,219,570 is sligh...

normal vol

$26.05 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,219,570 is slightly below the 1,324,355 share 20-day average. normal

Technical Price at $25.23 is trading below the $28.09 200-day moving average ahead of this news.

Peers on Argus

PHG was down 1.06% while key peers showed mixed moves: DXCM up 2.87%, ZBH up 0.8...

2 Up

PHG was down 1.06% while key peers showed mixed moves: DXCM up 2.87%, ZBH up 0.83%, STE, PODD, and SNN modestly negative. Momentum scanner flagged BSX and DXCM both up over 4.8%, contrasting with PHG’s decline and suggesting a stock-specific reaction.

Common Catalyst Select medical device names showed product-related news flow (e.g., DXCM), but moves were not broadly sector-wide.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: May 08 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
May 08	AGM approvals	Positive	+0.2%	All AGM 2026 proposals approved, including key board and CEO reappointments.
May 06	Q1 results	Positive	+3.0%	Reported strong order intake, comparable sales growth, and margin expansion in Q1.
Apr 23	Device launch	Positive	-2.2%	Launched Bridge Plus Occlusion Balloon for managing rare SVC tears in lead extraction.
Apr 22	Regulatory clearance	Positive	-0.8%	Received FDA 510(k) clearance for Rembra CT/RT platform, expanding CT access and throughput.
Apr 16	AI CT clearance	Positive	-1.6%	Gained FDA 510(k) clearance for Spectral CT Verida, an AI-powered spectral CT system.

Pattern Detected

Recent product and clearance announcements often saw negative price reactions despite positive operational implications.

Recent Company History

Over the last month, Philips has combined governance, financial, and product milestones. Shareholders approved all AGM 2026 proposals on May 8, 2026, with a modestly positive reaction. Earlier, Q1 results with strong order intake and margin expansion on May 6, 2026 drew a stronger positive move. By contrast, multiple device and imaging launches in April 2026, including Bridge Plus and FDA 510(k) clearances for Rembra and Verida, were followed by small to moderate declines, indicating mixed market enthusiasm for product news.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights SmartIQ as a significant upgrade to Philips’ Azurion platform, targetin...

Analysis

This announcement highlights SmartIQ as a significant upgrade to Philips’ Azurion platform, targeting the balance between coronary image quality and radiation exposure. The technology cites over 50% dose reduction versus existing settings and specific reference air kerma reductions of 58% and 62% on Azurion systems. With the RADIQAL randomized trial at 60% enrollment and CE-marked availability in Europe, investors may watch for full trial results, geographic expansion, and clinical adoption signals across interventional cardiology centers.

Key Terms

ce-marked, reference air kerma, fluoroscopy, randomized clinical trial, +4 more

8 terms

ce-marked regulatory

"SmartIQ is CE-marked and available in Europe and selected markets..."

CE-marked indicates a product meets European Union requirements for safety, performance and legal compliance, allowing it to be sold across the European Economic Area. For investors, a CE mark is like a passport or safety stamp — it reduces regulatory and market-entry risk, can speed sales and adoption across many countries, and signals the maker completed required testing and documentation, which can affect revenue forecasts and valuation.

reference air kerma medical

"...specify average reference air kerma reductions of 58% on Azurion M12..."

Reference air kerma is a standard measure of the amount of X-ray energy delivered to a point in air near a medical imaging device, used to characterize the device’s output. Investors care because it acts like a “brightness” or “volume” reading for radiation: higher values can signal greater patient dose, tighter regulatory oversight, potential liability, or the need for different equipment — all of which can affect costs, compliance, and market acceptance.

fluoroscopy medical

"...comparison to the limitation of the reference air kerma rate in fluoroscopy of <88 mGy/min..."

Fluoroscopy is a medical imaging method that creates live X‑ray “video” of the inside of the body, allowing doctors to watch organs, bones, and instruments move during procedures, like viewing a real‑time map while driving. Investors care because fluoroscopy drives demand for imaging equipment, disposable supplies and procedure-related services, influences regulatory approvals and reimbursement rates, and affects clinical adoption that can shape revenues and costs in healthcare companies.

randomized clinical trial medical

"The RADIQAL trial is a multi-center randomized clinical trial to assess the impact..."

A randomized clinical trial is a medical study in which people are assigned by chance—like flipping a coin or shuffling a deck—into different groups that receive a treatment, a different treatment, or a non‑treatment for comparison. It matters to investors because these trials provide the strongest, least biased evidence about whether a drug or medical device actually works and is safe; clear trial results can drive regulatory approval, sales forecasts, and company value.

mGy/min medical

"...reference air kerma rate in fluoroscopy of <88 mGy/min as stated in FDA 21CFR1020.32..."

mGy/min (milligray per minute) is a unit that measures the rate at which radiation energy is absorbed by material or tissue — one milligray equals one‑thousandth of a gray, and the “per minute” shows how quickly that dose accumulates. For investors, dose rate signals safety, regulatory compliance, and operational risk for businesses involved in medical imaging, radiotherapy, nuclear energy or radiation-producing devices; think of it like a speedometer showing how fast exposure builds up and guiding safety limits and potential costs.

21cfr1020.32 regulatory

"...as stated in FDA 21CFR1020.32 and international standard IEC 60601-2-54."

A U.S. federal safety standard that specifies required performance, testing, labeling and maximum allowable radiation output for medical diagnostic X‑ray equipment and their major components. It aims to limit patient and operator exposure while ensuring consistent image quality. For investors, compliance is like a product passing a building inspection: manufacturers must meet these rules to sell devices, avoid fines or recalls, and factor in development costs and approval timelines that directly affect revenue, liabilities and valuation.

iec 60601-2-54 regulatory

"...FDA 21CFR1020.32 and international standard IEC 60601-2-54."

An international safety and performance standard that sets detailed test methods and minimum requirements for pulse oximeter devices (the fingertip or wearable gadgets that measure blood oxygen and pulse). Think of it as a crash-test and quality checklist for these medical monitors: meeting it helps devices gain regulatory approval, sell in more markets, and reduces the risk of recalls or liability, so investors can better assess commercial and regulatory risk.

cine runs medical

"...enable acquisition of coronary cine runs at fluoroscopy dose levels..."

A cine run is a short, rapid sequence of medical images captured in quick succession to show motion — for example, the beating of a heart or the flow of contrast through blood vessels. For investors, cine runs matter because they are key for diagnosing conditions, validating new imaging equipment or software, and demonstrating clinical value; think of them like a short video clip that reveals function rather than a single snapshot, which can drive sales, reimbursements, or regulatory approval.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

May 18, 2026     

• Greater differentiation of clinical details through contrast-rich images with reduced background noise​
• For coronary procedures, a new ultra-low dose protocol employs over 50% less X-ray radiation dose [1]
• First SmartIQ clinical pilot study published in JSCAI, further building on Philips’ strong track record in evidence generation [2]

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced Philips SmartIQ, a breakthrough coronary imaging technology for its Azurion image-guided therapy. Developed in collaboration with leading cardiovascular centers, SmartIQ is designed to address one of the field’s most fundamental challenges: the trade-off between image quality and radiation exposure for patients and clinical staff. It aims to empower clinicians with exceptional image quality, enabling them to see exactly what they need, while it aims to provide reassurance that X-ray dose and contrast levels are optimized.

“With this new imaging technology, we can go really low in dose and achieve even better image quality. It’s a win-win,” said Dr. Mark Winkens, Interventional Cardiologist at Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital (ETZ) in Tilburg, the Netherlands.


Philips will showcase SmartIQ at EuroPCR 2026 (May 19–22, Paris, France), where attendees can experience the technology firsthand and hear directly from early clinical adopters. During dedicated clinical sessions, clinicians will share initial case experiences and present real-world multicenter results. Leveraging Philips’ strong track record in evidence generation, the first blinded clinical pilot study evaluating SmartIQ was recently published in Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions. The study suggests that the algorithm scored higher on image quality and was preferred in the vast majority of blinded comparisons, while maintaining or lowering radiation and contrast dose.


The technology builds on Philips’ industry-leading ClarityIQ platform, which has previously been associated with radiation exposure reductions between 23% and 83%, depending on the clinical area [3]. In parallel, further strengthening Philips’ evidence-generation efforts, the ongoing RADIQAL trial is designed to assess the impact of SmartIQ on radiation dose compared to ClarityIQ while maintaining procedural performance. The study has recently reached 60% of total enrollment and completed enrollment at European sites, marking an important milestone. Final study completion and results are expected in due course.

SmartIQ represents the next step forward in image quality and dose management for coronary imaging. It includes an ultra-low dose protocol for coronary procedures that employs over 50% less X-ray radiation dose compared with the lowest dose settings available with Philips ClarityIQ [1]. This setting aims to enable acquisition of coronary cine runs at fluoroscopy dose levels, depending on system and clinical conditions [4].

“For too long, clinicians have had to choose between image quality and radiation dose during coronary procedures,” said Mark Stoffels, Business Leader Image-Guided Therapy Systems at Philips. “With our breakthrough SmartIQ technology, we believe that trade-off no longer has to define coronary imaging. This is not an incremental step forward – it represents one of Philips’ boldest advances yet in helping clinicians see what they need while aiming to further reduce exposure for patients and clinical teams.”

“Image quality is the foundation of every decision we make in the cath lab. SmartIQ has genuinely surprised us. It delivers the clarity we need at very low radiation dose levels,” said Dr. Nicolaj Brejnholt Støttrup, Interventional Cardiologist at Aarhus University Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark.

SmartIQ is the latest example of Philips’ long-term commitment to reducing radiation exposure across image-guided therapy. Together with innovations such as DoseAware, LumiGuide and EchoNavigator, it reflects a system-wide approach designed to help clinicians achieve the image quality they need while continuing the aim to reduce radiation exposure for patients and staff.

SmartIQ is CE-marked and available in Europe and selected markets on both new and existing Azurion systems. The technology is not yet cleared for use in the United States.

[1] Compared with the low ClarityIQ setting on Azurion systems, SmartIQ ultra-low left coronary 15 fps cine runs specify average reference air kerma reductions of 58% on Azurion M12 and 62% on Azurion M20 across all field sizes as stated in the IFU.
[2] Assar et al., Exploring a Novel Processing Algorithm to Improve Image Quality and Reduce X-Ray and Contrast Dose for Coronary Angiography: A Blinded Pilot Study. Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions, 2026, 105343
[3] In 37 individual comparative studies, Philips ClarityIQ was associated with reductions in patient radiation exposure. The results of the application of dose reduction techniques will vary depending on the clinical task, patient size, anatomical location and clinical practice. The interventional radiologist assisted by a physicist as necessary has to determine the appropriate settings for each specific clinical task. See website: https://www.philips.com/clinicallyproven
[4] The radiation dose reduction potential of SmartIQ is currently investigated in the RADIQAL trial. The RADIQAL trial is a multi-center randomized clinical trial to assess the impact of SmartIQ on radiation dose compared to the current ClarityIQ while maintaining procedural performance. This includes a comparison to the limitation of the reference air kerma rate in fluoroscopy of <88 mGy/min as stated in FDA 21CFR1020.32 and international standard IEC 60601-2-54. For details about RADIQAL, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06944509.

About Royal Philips 

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2025 sales of EUR 18 billion and employs approximately 64,800 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Attachment

• Philips Azurion with SmartIQ technology

FAQ

What is Philips SmartIQ for coronary imaging and how does it relate to PHG stock?

Philips SmartIQ is a coronary imaging technology for Azurion systems, aiming to enhance image quality while optimizing radiation and contrast dose. According to Philips, it targets the trade-off between image clarity and exposure, which may interest PHG investors focused on innovation in image-guided therapy.

How much radiation dose reduction does Philips SmartIQ offer in coronary procedures (PHG)?

SmartIQ’s ultra-low dose coronary protocol employs over 50% less X-ray dose than the lowest Philips ClarityIQ settings. According to Philips, reference air kerma reductions reach 58% on Azurion M12 and 62% on Azurion M20 across field sizes, depending on system and clinical conditions.

What did the first SmartIQ clinical pilot study show for Philips (NYSE:PHG)?

The first blinded SmartIQ pilot study suggested higher image quality scores and preference in most comparisons, while maintaining or lowering radiation and contrast dose. According to Philips, these initial data support SmartIQ’s potential benefits, with more definitive evidence expected from the ongoing RADIQAL trial.

Is Philips SmartIQ currently available in the United States for Azurion systems (PHG)?

SmartIQ is not yet cleared for use in the United States. According to Philips, the technology is CE-marked and available in Europe and selected markets on both new and existing Azurion systems, highlighting regional differences investors in PHG should consider.

What is the RADIQAL trial and why is it important for Philips SmartIQ and PHG investors?

The RADIQAL trial is a multicenter randomized study comparing SmartIQ to ClarityIQ on radiation dose while maintaining procedural performance. According to Philips, enrollment has reached 60%, and completed in European sites, with results expected to further define SmartIQ’s impact on coronary procedures.

How does SmartIQ build on Philips ClarityIQ technology for coronary imaging (PHG)?

SmartIQ is developed on Philips’ ClarityIQ platform, previously associated with 23%–83% radiation exposure reductions across studies. According to Philips, SmartIQ represents the next step in image quality and dose management, adding an ultra-low dose coronary protocol for use on Azurion image-guided therapy systems.