Philips Announces FDA Clearance of Q-CPR(TM) - Providing Real-time CPR Measurement and Feedback

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI), in partnershipwith Laerdal, today announced that the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) has cleared for marketing Q-CPR technology on thePhilips HeartStart MRx monitor/defibrillator. Q-CPR is the firsttechnology cleared by the FDA that provides real-time cardiopulmonaryresuscitation (CPR) monitoring and feedback for advanced life support(ALS) - trained responders. Q-CPR, developed by Laerdal and availableonly on the HeartStart MRx, will offer medical professionalscorrective feedback on the rate and depth of chest compressions, aswell as the frequency and quality of ventilations (breaths), allowingfor modification in their technique when administering CPR.

Recent studies published in the Journal of the American MedicalAssociation (JAMA) revealed that, in many cases, CPR performed bymedical professionals in and out of the hospital does not meetAmerican Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. The studies measured thelevel of accuracy of CPR delivery, both inside the hospital and onemergency response calls, and discovered that the majority of the timechest compression rates were too slow, chest compression depth tooshallow, and breath rates too high.

At the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association onNovember 11-14th, 2005 in Dallas, the authors of the JAMA studies willannounce the results of follow-up studies of the effect of Q-CPR useon the quality of CPR delivery by trained responders.

"Emergency responders have a high level of training. However,balancing the correct amount of breaths with the exact depth and rateof chest compressions is actually a very complicated process with ahigh likelihood of human error," said Dr. Lance Becker, AssociateProfessor of Medicine and the Director of the Emergency ResuscitationResearch Center at the University of Chicago. "Q-CPR will helpemergency responders deliver quality CPR consistently, even in themost stressful and fast-paced environments."

Quality CPR and early defibrillation are inextricably linked - thecombination is essential to increase the survival rate for victims ofsudden cardiac arrest (SCA). When breath rates or chest compressiontargets are not being met, Q-CPR provides visual and audio cues thathelp rescuers adjust their technique. Laerdal, the worldwide leader inCPR solutions, developed Q-CPR technology over a five-year period toenable caregivers to not just "feel" CPR, but to see and hear how theyare doing, helping to improve the quality of CPR for their patients inreal-time.

"As the worldwide leader in defibrillation technology, we areproud to partner with Laerdal to bring to market breakthroughsolutions that will raise the bar on the quality of CPR beingperformed by healthcare professionals," said Deborah DiSanzo, seniorvice president and general manager, cardiac systems, for PhilipsMedical Systems. "Together we will continue to pioneer newtechnologies to better integrate CPR solutions with earlydefibrillation. This, we believe, is the most promising path toimproving survival rates for victims of sudden cardiac arrest."

In addition, Q-CPR enables collection of CPR data for post-eventreview and de-brief. This data management feature enables system-wideanalysis of how well CPR is being performed and can help driveimprovements in the quality of CPR in an emergency medical response(EMS) system or hospital. The Q-CPR device weighs less than a half apound, adding virtually no weight to the HeartStart MRx, and is easyto use and apply to the patient.

"Our collaboration with Philips is an important step towardsexpanding the knowledge and resources behind delivering correct andeffective CPR,'' said Tore Laerdal, CEO of Laerdal. "Q-CPR is thefirst of several technological advancements on the horizon for Philipsand Laerdal, as part of our commitment to help our customers save morelives.''

Philips expects Q-CPR will be available for delivery as an optionon the HeartStart MRx by the end of 2005. A demonstration of Q-CPRwill be available at the 2005 American Heart Association ScientificSessions, Philips booth #1513.

About CPR and Defibrillation

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a technique designed totemporarily circulate oxygenated blood through the body of a personwhose heart has stopped or has an irregular rhythm. It involvesdetermining if the person is without a pulse, assessing the airway,breathing for the person, and applying pressure to the chest tocirculate blood to the body's vital organs. CPR "primes" the heart toreceive a defibrillation shock by perfusing it with blood. It iscritical for emergency medical responders to perform CPR quickly andeffectively to maximize the victim's chances of survival. However,performing and sustaining the appropriate amount of breaths and chestcompressions is difficult, further complicated by such factors as achaotic environment or fatigue.

SCA affects 340,000 people each year in the U.S. alone, and fewerthan five percent survive, largely because defibrillators do not getto them in time or bystander CPR was not performed. For each minutethat passes before defibrillation therapy reaches a victim, the chancefor survival decreases by about 7 to 10 percent. After 10 minutes, fewattempts at resuscitation are successful. Early CPR and defibrillationtogether with good post-resuscitation care can improve survival ratessubstantially.

About Laerdal

Laerdal is headquartered in Stavanger, Norway and has variousoperations and over 1000 employees around the world. Over the last 50years, Laerdal's Resusci(r) Anne and other CPR training manikins havehelped train over 250 million people worldwide in cardiopulmonaryresuscitation. In keeping with the company's mission of helping savelives, Laerdal manufactures and distributes medical education andacute care products for the healthcare and emergency responsecommunities. The recipient of numerous medical design awards, Laerdalis one of the foremost names in resuscitation, medical simulation,airway management, spinal immobilization, and basic and advanced lifesupport products.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI)is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe'slargest, with sales of $ 37.66 Billion (EUR 30.3 billion) in 2004.With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare,lifestyle and technology and 161,100 employees in more than 60countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnosticimaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electricshavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips islocated at www.philips.com/newscenter.