Members of PSV Eindhoven soccer team can now have their injuries diagnosed right on the field.

The professional soccer club has become the first in the world to adopt Royal Philips’ Lumify portable ultrasound to examine suspected injuries of players immediately at the point of care.

"In recent years, we’ve seen the use of ultrasound expand to a variety of new clinical areas, including sports medicine," Randy Hamlin, business leader for point of care for ultrasound at Philips, told HCB News. "Lumify’s ultra-portability makes it easy for care providers to use at the point of care, whether that’s an imaging center, a sports medicine clinic, a sports field or a locker room. Lumify presents health care providers in and outside the walls of a hospital with a new way to provide on-demand, point-of-care diagnostics."

Using hospital ultrasounds to assess and diagnose conditions can take hours, due to factors such as transportation to the facility and consulting with clinicians. This creates anxiety in patients and can delay treatment plans.

Lumify consists of hand-held transducers with advanced ultrasound processing built in, and the Lumify app, with scans initiated by connecting the transducer to a smartphone or tablet where the app has been downloaded. It also has a full range of transducers for examining different potential injuries and can be used in a variety of clinical applications, including cardiology, abdominal, musculoskeletal, lung, gynecology and obstetrics exams.

Additional features include top image quality and flexibility without compromises to battery life, ergonomics, or security, a five year warranty and access to Philips' services and customer support.

Hamlin says the device is likely to become a popular tool for assessing medical needs in many environments.

"Lumify has already proven to be a valuable tool for both professional sporting clubs and youth athletics," he said. "Because of its ultra-portability, flexibility, high-quality imaging, and affordable price, we see this device being used more widely in a variety of settings."

Philips is heavily involved in efforts to address point-of-care needs for ultrasound, an example being its recent partnership with B. Braun for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia solutions.

The device is currently available in North America, France, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Singapore and Thailand.

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