Health Industry Today articles from February 1999

Health Industry Today archives from February 1999

The market letter for health care industry vendors.
February 1, 1999... Market Memo Digital x-ray revolution opens big venues for manufacturers by John Dalton A revolution is taking place in medical diagnostic imaging, a change that is shaping the future of the century-old X-ray technology in much...

Coming to common ground.
February 1, 1999... In order to transmit and receive images, health care bodies must be able to communicate across multi-vendor environments. The Digital Image Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard addresses the problem. It is the foundation of Picture...

A wide-open field.
February 1, 1999... According to the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, Mountain View, Calif., nearly 40 companies produce products for digital X-ray systems. Major market players such as General Electric, Fairfield, Conn., Siemens Medical Systems, Inc.,...

Market drivers.
February 1, 1999... Digital imaging will also benefit from the recent introduction of flat panel detector arrays into the imaging chain. Flat panels have the potential to improve image quality and patient care, as well as allow system configurations of a more...

Reacting to the market. (news briefs).
February 1, 1999... Kodak announced last fall that it will provide the University of Chicago Hospitals with its Access image management networks, one to be installed in the Department of Radiology and the other for use in OB/GYN. The two systems will be...

A gem of an acquisition.
February 1, 1999... Ballard, which reported net income of $32 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 on sales of $150 million, makes disposable medical devices for respiratory care, gastroenterology and cardiology. The company also makes Trach Care, the...

Continuing the trend.(Kimberly-Clark acquisition of Ballard Medical Products, other cos)
February 1, 1999... For Kimberly-Clark, the acquisition continues a trend that propels it into the medical device mainstream. The deal for Ballard comes just a year after Kimberly's $428 million all-stock acquisition of another medical-products company, Tecnol...

Facing the inevitable.(Ballard Medical bought by Kimberly-Clark)
February 1, 1999... For Ballard, the acquisition is a sign of continuing consolidation within the industry. "We knew we had to expand or be bought out in order to stay competitive with the large buying groups," says Ballard CFO Ken Sorenson. "It is a...

Business as usual.
February 1, 1999... Under the agreement, Ballard shareholders will receive $25 for each share of Ballard Medical common stock, payable in Kimberly-Clark stock. The shares will be value based on the average closing price of Kimberly-Clark stock over a period of...

industry news.
February 1, 1999... Integrated health care delivery systems alter buying patterns for hospitals, physicians By Donald E. L. Johnson, Publisher Integrated health care delivery systems are changing buying patterns for medical and surgical supplies and...

Angiotech, Bard in graft, paclitaxel combination.
February 1, 1999... Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, has entered into a license and development agreement with C.R. Bard Inc., New Providence, N.J., and Bard's vascular graft subsidiary, IMPRA Inc., Tempe, Ariz. The agreement...

Bard looks to new business direction following sale of its cardiovascular unit.
February 1, 1999... Product strategies New surgical adhesive intended to take the ouch out of stitching and improve cosmetic results The wisdom of "A stitch in time saves nine," may well evolve to "A little dab will do Oya," following the introduction by...

contract notes.
February 1, 1999... The Clinipad Corp., Rocky Hill, Conn., has renewed its contract with Health Services Corporation of America for three years, effective Jan. 1, 1999, for its line of packaged antiseptics, medical procedure kits and OR prep trays. The...

contract notes.
February 1, 1999... TomTec Imaging Systems, Munich, Germany, and Acuson Corp., Mountain View, Calif., have signed an agreement to integrate TomTec's 3D software technology into Acuson's ultrasound platforms for cardiac, ob/gyn and radiology imaging applications....

earnings report.
February 1, 1999... Cardiac equipment has become the heartbeat of earnings in the medical device business, say industry analysts after looking at 1998 fourth quarter returns. Companies that manufacture and market coronary stents and cardiac rhythm devices...

Medtronic still hot, but is glow beginning to fade?
February 1, 1999... Befitting a company of world-class volume and exponential growth, Medtronic Inc. has long been a darling of the medical device world, shaping itself with 30-fold value since 1988 and growing by 45% in 1998 alone. The Minneapolis firm is the...

CBO sees big increases in device, care spending.
February 1, 1999... Manufacturers, marketers and vendors of medical devices and suppliers should be prepared for a health care spending boom, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO is predicting that spending for inpatient care at U.S....

Growth is forecast for transcatheter market.
February 1, 1999... Medical Data International, Irvine, Calif., (MDI), is forecasting vigorous growth for the coronary transcatheter device market. MDI says technologies created to improve clinical outcomes will spur market growth as they become commercially...

If small, think alliance, say HMMC marketers.
February 1, 1999... In an age of giant GPOs, mergers and buyouts, and mega- (read multi-billion dollar) deals within a medical device and supply industry that creates large-script headlines around the country, what's a little guy to do? Fake it, said...

MDMA calls for clearer FDA guidance on demonstrating device effectiveness.
February 1, 1999... Members of the industry group Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) have called upon the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a "clear and equitable process for determining the least burdensome means of demonstrating the...

Horizon receives OK to market entire product line to European Community.
February 1, 1999... Horizon Medical Products, Inc. has received CE Mark approval from its European Union Notified Body, TUV Rheinland, to market its intravascular port and catheter, and chronic dialysis catheter lines manufactured in its Manchester, Ga.,...

Toshiba, Tenet reach agreement on sale of MRI units to members, BuyPower.
February 1, 1999... Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, Calif., has reached agreement with Tenet Healthcare Corp., Santa Barbara, Calif., to supply magnetic resonance imaging scanners. Tenet facilities and members of the company's group purchasing...

Agfa's purchase of Sterling Diagnostic to strength firm's X-ray film position.
February 1, 1999... Agfa-Gevaert Group, a unit of the Agfa Division of Bayer Corp., Ridgefield Park, N.J., moved to solidify its position as the No. two maker of X-ray film by announcing its intention to acquire Sterling Diagnostic Imaging, Greenville, S.C. ...

Laserscope, Photofrin combination gets FDA cancer treatment clearance.
February 1, 1999... Laserscope, San Jose, Calif., has received FDA clearance for photodynamic therapy using the company's laser systems and the drug Photofrin[umlaut] for the treatment of late-stage lung cancer. The FDA ruling follows unanimous recommendation...

Cardio Technologies completes study leading to marketing of CardioSupport.
February 1, 1999... Cardio Technologies Inc., Pine Brook, N.J., recently completed an animal study demonstrating the effectiveness of the company's CardioSupport System[ordinal indicator, feminine], a minimally invasive cardiac assist device. The study was...

Zimmer, Integrated Surgical take step toward computer-assisted surgery.
February 1, 1999... Zimmer Inc., Warsaw, Ind., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., will make its VerSys[umlaut]Hip System available to surgeons who use the Robodoc[umlaut] Surgical Assistant System under terms of an agreement with Integrated...

Trade show notes Show biz.
February 1, 1999... Editor's Note: If a trade show or expo you are or were involved with increased (or decreased) the number of participants, exhibitors or floor space, let HIT know. We're also interested in your reactions to today's trade shows. Contact...

HIMA explores value of medical technology.
February 1, 1999... Health care industry officials, organization management experts and workshops featuring HCFA reform initiatives and FDA policy trends will be presented at the Health Industry Manufacturers Assn. meeting March 13-16, 1999, at the Sheraton Bal...

Building the future.
February 1, 1999... The 36th annual Conference and Technical Exhibition of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering will be held June 21-25, 1999, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The event will feature technical exhibitions of...

A USA pavilion for exhibitors.
February 1, 1999... Interhospital/Interfab 99 will be held June 8 -11 in Hannover, Germany, and will feature a USA Pavilion that will cater exclusively to American companies. The group exhibit will feature turnkey packages and marketing support services and...

24th annual SCVIR meeting.
February 1, 1999... The 1999 Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology meeting will be held in Orlando, Fla., March 20-25 and will continue its tradition of presenting education and training in interventional radiology, new developments in...

Trade Show Calendar.
February 1, 1999... Trading places Here's Health Industry Today's listing of key health care trade shows for the coming months. To add one, contact John Dalton at 303-967-0170, fax 303-290-9025, or e-mail to HIT@businessword.com

Purchasing Managers: Manufacturing index continues slowdown.
February 1, 1999... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector continued to slow in December when compared to November, according to the latest report from the National Association of Purchasing Management. NAPM's Purchasing Manager's Index indicates that...

Purchasing Managers' Index (over 50% indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding).
February 1, 1999... !!! BEGIN TABLE December '98: 45.1% November '98: 46.8% December '97: 52.5% /// Production Index (over 50%, over time, is generally consistent with growth) December '98: 46.5% November '98: 48.6% December '97: 55.4% ///...

newsmakers.
February 1, 1999... Health Industry Today provides Job Mart listings free of charge to HIT subscribers, provided those subscribers assume full responsibility for handling their own letters of inquiry. Please send notices of executive, manufacturer,...

American Biogenetic Sciences.
February 1, 1999... John S. North has been appointed president, CEO and a member of the board of directors of this Copiague, N.Y., firm that researches and develops diagnostic tests for cardiac conditions and infectious diseases. North spent nearly three...

Cell Robotics International, Inc.
February 1, 1999... Two managers of this Albuquerque, N.M., firm, which recently received the first FDA clearance ever for a laser device designated for in-home use, have been promoted to positions of vice president. Michael A. Wolf has been appointed vice...

LaserSight Inc.
February 1, 1999... Dave Headlee has been named vice president of sales and marketing, and Dennis James has been named manager, specialty blade division for the Winter Park, Fla., developer of laser refractive surgery and vision correction devices. Headlee...

Bayer Corp.
February 1, 1999... Joe W. Martin has been appointed senior vice president and general manager of the Tarrytown, N.Y., firm's worldwide point-of-care business. Martin joined Bayer in 1992 and most recently served as country manager for United Kingdom and...

Midmark Corp.
February 1, 1999... Richard J. Moorman has been named vice president of sales, primary care for Midmark Corp., Versailles, Ohio. Moorman began his career with Midmark in 1975 as a medical sales representative. In 1981 he was named regional manager for the...

Siemens Medical Systems.
February 1, 1999... The Iselin, N.J., provider of diagnostic imaging systems and medical electronics has named four vice presidents. Ajit Sighn, Ph.D., has been appointed vice president of the Siemens Health Services Division. In Siemens Medical...

Coming in Health Industry Today:.
February 1, 1999... Market Memo: Demographics, technology are driving the arthroscopic market Also in HIT: Positron emission tomography (PET) is making its way into the clinical mainstream Health Industry Today 5350 South Roslyn St., Suite 400 Englewood, CO...

>TI market memo.(Chronimed and Cell Robotic International Lasette laser finger perforator system draws blood without a pin prick)
February 1, 1999... around the industry Chronimed's 2nd-generation laser cleared by FDA for in-home users Chronimed Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., the manufacturer of the first laser device ever cleared by the FDA for in-home use, has received clearance to...