Philips and Nicolab collaborate to advance stroke care in India

New Delhi: Philips, a global leader in health technology, today announced it is expanding its collaboration with Nicolab, a pioneering company in AI-powered stroke care, to advance stroke care in India.

This expansion into India represents an important milestone in addressing one of the country’s most pressing healthcare challenges by combining Philips’ world-class imaging expertise with Nicolab’s advanced platform, StrokeViewer AI.

With nearly 1.8 million new cases each year*, stroke has become a leading cause of disability and mortality in India, creating an urgent need for models of care that deliver speed, precision and access. Timely diagnosis and intervention are critical, yet many patients continue to face delays in accessing specialist treatment. Through this collaboration, Philips and Nicolab aim to strengthen clinical workflows, support faster decision-making and improve access to life-saving stroke treatment.

StrokeViewer, the first cloud-based solution in India to receive regulatory clearance for CT Perfusion (CTP) analysis provides instant AI-generated imaging results, centralised patient information and seamless communication between specialists. Integrated with Philips’ advanced image-guide therapy platform Azurion, the combined solution is designed to help clinicians deliver more efficient and effective stroke care. Azurion brings together real-time high-resolution imaging, advanced navigation tools, and seamless integration of advanced AI solutions such as Nicolab’s StrokeViewer to empower clinicians to act faster and more precisely. For example, physicians can review all relevant DICOM scans and AI results directly on Azurion, to determine eligibility for interventional treatment. The 3D planning view enables the interventional team to determine the best access route and viewing angles before the patient enters the interventional suite.

Gaurav Vyas, Business Leader, Image Guided Therapy, Philips Indian Subcontinent, said, “Stroke is a growing healthcare challenge in India, where every minute makes a difference to patient outcomes. At Philips, we are committed to harnessing the power of technology and partnerships to improve access, efficiency and quality of care. By joining hands with Nicolab, we are advancing stroke care in India with a connected, AI-driven solution that empowers clinicians to act faster, deliver more effective outcomes, and extend timely treatment to patients even in underserved communities and Tier 2 and 3 cities — ultimately providing better care for more people.”

Michael Macilquham, Nicolab CEO, added, “At Nicolab, our purpose has always been to ensure every stroke patient, regardless of where they live, has the best possible chance of recovery. India presents both an enormous challenge and a profound opportunity. The scale of the stroke burden is immense, yet so is the determination of its clinical community to advance care. Partnering with Philips allows us to support this ambition through proven, AI-powered workflows that connect hospitals, empower clinicians and shorten the time between diagnosis and treatment. Our collaboration is about building capacity, strengthening networks and ensuring that innovation reaches every patient who can benefit from it.”

Nicolab’s StrokeViewer applies advanced AI to analyze multiple stroke imaging biomarkers, supporting faster and more confident diagnosis. Stroke teams can then collaborate seamlessly by securely sharing images and patient details through a DICOM viewer that is certified for diagnostic use on both mobile and desktop. This diagnostic-grade capability ensures that each patient gets the best possible chance of recovery – as every second matters.