• Sunrise Medical Expands Distribution
During the next 12 to 18 months, Sunrise Medical, Longmont, Colo, will deploy an expanded distribution center (DC) strategy across the United States. The new centers will increase Sunrise’s overnight delivery coverage from 30% of the country to over 80% once the plan is fully implemented. The newest Sunrise DC, located outside of Boston, will increase and expedite delivery coverage to Sunrise’s East Coast customers. “By locating distribution centers close to our largest customers, we can assist them in minimizing their on-hand inventory needs,” says Allen Traylor, vice president of North American manufacturing and distribution. The addition of these new distribution centers is part of an ongoing corporate initiative to increase value and services for Sunrise customers.

• Sleepmate Reveals New Image
Sleepmate Technologies, Midlothian, Va, recently unveiled the new look of its entire Sleep Sensor line—based on feedback the company received from the users of its products. In response to demand, all sensors are now latex and mercury free, are made in the United States, and use tinsel wire for superior strength. All sensors are also US Food and Drug Administration-cleared and CE-marked, new improved warranty program. Sleepmate will be adding customer service personnel, expanding sales representatives throughout North America, and adding international distributors. It is also enhancing its Web site to include reference material, show calendars, education links, multi-language training, manuals, marketing material, and a customer feedback mechanism.

• Innomed Appoints New CEO
InnoMed Technologies Inc, Greensburg, Pa, has named Sanjay Chandran as its new chief executive officer. Previously, Chandran was a senior executive with GE Healthcare, where he grew a medical devices business from $11 million in annual revenues to over $40 million in just 3 years. As part of his duties at InnoMed, Chandran will assist in running Mergenet Medical, a technology incubator.

Invacare Acquires Australian Health Care Company
Strengthening its presence in Australia, Invacare , Elyria, Ohio, recently acquired Australian Healthcare Equipment Pty Ltd (AHE), a health care company with operations in Sydney and Melbourne that designs and manufactures beds, related furniture, and pressure care products for home care and nonacute institutional care. AHE currently markets three Australian brands, Murphy Healthcare Furniture, Hendicare, and Bosshard Medical. Invacare also announced that it has entered into a new revolving credit facility for a 5-year term. The $450 million credit facility replaces the previous $325 million facility and also has a provision to allow Invacare and its banks to increase the facility by an additional $100 million to $550 million.

VIASYS MedSystems Acquires Navion
The MedSystems business unit of VIASYS Healthcare Inc, Konshohoken, Pa, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Navion Biomedical Corporation, Stoughton, Mass, manufacturer of the NAVIGATOR® BIONAVIGATION® system. The NAVIGATOR system is designed to facilitate the correct placement of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and central venous catheters (CVCs).

Puritan Bennett Recognized for Leadership
Frost & Sullivan has awarded the 2004 Oxygen Therapy Product Quality Leadership Award to Puritan Bennett for its oxygen therapy product, the HELiOS® Personal Oxygen System. Unlike other portable oxygen systems that must be carried or pulled, the HELiOS portable unit can be “worn” on a belt or in a shoulder bag, giving users a more independent and mobile lifestyle.

Col. Joseph Parker, MD, Walter Reed Hospital, accepts SpiroPro from Barry Peoples, VIASYS Respiratory Care.

Viasys Supports Troops
VIASYS Healthcare, Yorba Linda, Calif, recently donated a SpiroPro® spirometer to assist in the clinical operations for oversees servicemen. VIASYS Healthcare learned Chris Humphrey, MD, from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, was assigned to Mosul, Iraq, and as a pulmonologist, he needed equipment to help evaluate troops. Upon learning about Humphrey’s need, Viasys sent him a SpiroPro spirometer, which he accepted for his mission oversees. The SpiroPro is a highly precise handheld pulmonary spirometer, oxymeter, and asthma monitor presently being used in private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation, home care, and occupational medicine. The SpiroPro can travel to the patient and take optimal measurements where symptoms may occur, maximizing diagnostic capabilities for the physician. The SpiroPro also features a SPO measurement option, 6-minute walk test, flow vital capacity, and flow-volume loop with pre/post measurement.

CHAD Therapeutics Announces Higher Third Quarter Net Income
CHAD Therapeutics Inc, Chatsworth, Calif, declared higher revenue and net income for the third quarter and first 9 months of fiscal 2005, and provided revised revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2005 and initial guidance for fiscal 2006. “While we have scaled back our growth projection for fiscal 2005 to reflect currently anticipated product delivery schedules, we continue to expect significant top- and bottom-line growth in fiscal 2005 and again in fiscal 2006 based on the success of our new SAGE Therapeutic Device and the improved outlook for our TOTAL O2® Delivery System,” says Earl L. Yager, president and CEO.

ResMed Announces Record Financial Results
ResMed Inc, Poway, Calif, announced record revenue and income results for the quarter ended December 31, 2004. Revenue for the quarter was $103.9 million, a 26% increase over the quarter ended December 31, 2003. “These robust financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2005 reflect ResMed’s continuing sales and profit growth. Domestic sales increased by 27% over the December 2004 quarter to $52.3 million, reflecting an outstanding effort from our sales team and strong demand for our new Mirage Swift patient interface,” says Peter C. Farrell, PhD, chairman and CEO. “International sales increased by 25% over the December 2004 quarter, to $51.6 million, reflecting growth in all our major markets as well as a stronger Euro. In addition, we expanded our international operations with the acquisition of Resprecare, our exclusive distributor in the Netherlands, and we continue to evaluate additional opportunities for international expansion.”

• In Brief
Aerogen Inc, Mountain View, Calif, recently announced the worldwide availability of the first two GE Healthcare critical care products that contain an integrated version of Aerogen’s Aeroneb® Professional Nebulizer System (Aeroneb Pro): the Engstrom Carestation and the Aptaer™ Heliox Delivery System.

MAQUET Critical Care, Bridgewater, NJ, recently developed several new products in its SERVO line. The latest addition to MAQUET’s SERVO ventilator family is the SERVO-s Ventilation System for subacute patient populations. Another innovation, the SERVO Guard bacteria filter, utilizes a built-in water trap, which extends the life expectancy beyond that of conventional filters. The company also released the new SERVO-i with noninvasive ventilation.