Ceramatec, Salt Lake City, has sold its medical division, Ceramatec Analytical to Andros, Berkeley, Calif, allowing the company to place greater focus on areas that are essential to its future growth, such as research and development.
Andros has integrated Ceramatec Analytical into a new medical accessories business under the name maxtec, located in Salt Lake City. For the next 6 months, Ceramatec is providing maxtec with the necessary support to ensure a smooth transition.
The company will have a new address: maxtec inc, 2425 South 900 West, Suite B, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119. All invoices received for products and services from January 1, 1999 need to be remitted to: maxtec, inc, PO Box 60000, File #73629, San Francisco, CA 94160-3629.
New products from Maxtec are expected to be released later this year. Andros is the global OEM provider of anesthesia and related monitoring equipment to major manufacturers.
Breathe EZ Offers CO Monitor
The CO monitor from Breathe EZ Systems Inc, Shawnee Mission, Kan, is a handheld unit that is lightweight and portable. The product is a simple and noninvasive way to screen for CO by testing a patient’s breath.
The digital readout measures CO levels in parts per million. There is a direct correlation between levels of HbCO in the blood and the CO levels in a patient’s breath. The CO Sleuth provides quick information and can be used in smoking cessation programs to establish a baseline on smokers who enter a program. It has no moving parts to wear out, and the 9-volt battery lasts more than 100 hours. The unit also comes with a 1-year warranty.
For information, call (913) 338-2826, or visit Breathe EZ’s Web site at www.co-sleuth.com.
Datex-Ohmeda Receives Clearance for Pulse Oximeter
Datex-Ohmeda, Louisville, Colo, has announced that the 3900/3900P pulse oximeter with TeleOximetryT-advanced communication capabilities has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA.
The 3900/3900P is the world’s first pulse oximeter with remote fax capability for expedient oximetry data transmission and report generation. The device gives clinicians the ability to send up to 24 hours of oximetry data to a remote fax or computer. Patient data can be transmitted via modem directly from the patient’s home to the clinician’s or physician’s office. Clinicians can also access patient data via PC from any location.
“The 3900/3900P specifically meets the needs of the home care and sleep lab markets where overnight oximetry studies are required before more comprehensive testing is authorized,” said Derek Smith, general manager and vice president of the Configured Monitors Business Unit. “The 3900/3900P’s unique, state-of-the-art features truly underscore Datex-Ohmeda’s commitment to meeting customer needs, as well as exemplifying the strengths of the new organization.”
Datex-Ohmeda is a subsidiary of Instrumentarium Corporation, an international health care company headquartered in Finland.
Passy-Muir Announces Continuing Education Seminars
Passy-Muir, Irvine, Calif, announces the return of the popular 1-day continuing education seminars entitled “Passy-Muir Tracheostomy and Ventilator Speaking Valves (PMV): Effective Assessment and Treatment Strategies to Enhance Outcomes.”
The seminars will take place April 16, 1999 in Atlanta; June 26, 1999 in New York City; and August 1999 in Chicago.
The seminars will feature nationally renowned authors and speakers who will provide state-of-the-art assessment and treatment strategies utilizing the PMV. Topics will include ventilator application, weaning and decannulation, dysphagia, as well as an optional pediatric lecture. Guidelines will be provided to assist in developing protocols, meeting JCAHO requirements, and facilitating a team approach. A seminar will also be held in Canada this year.
Instrumentation Lab Awarded Agreement with Magnet
Instrumentation Laboratory SpA (IL) (Milan, Italy, and Lexington, Mass) has announced that it has been awarded primary-supplier status with Magnet (Mechanicsburg, Pa).
The IL-Magnet multiyear contract, previously held by two of IL’s competitors, covers IL’s complete line of critical care testing instruments, service, and information management products for use in clinical laboratories and point-of-care testing sites.
“We are quite pleased to have earned Magnet’s “primary supplier” status, demonstrating another strong vote of buyer confidence in the IL product portfolio and integration strategy,” says Ramon Benet, vice president, marketing, sales, and service for IL. “We look forward to joining Magnet in providing innovative, cost-effective critical care testing solutions to each one of their participating facilities.”
IL is a worldwide developer, manufacturer, and distributor of products for hospitals and independent clinical laboratories. Founded in 1979, Magnet serves more than 900 acute care hospitals, representing 275,000 beds and roughly 15%he acute care marketplace.
PDS Becomes US Sales Agent for Provocholiner
PDS Pharmaceuticals Inc, Louisville, Colo, a Pulmonary Data Service Inc affiliate, has been selected as the exclusive US sales agent of Provocholiner (methacholine chloride/powder for inhalation, not for injection) from methapharm inc.
Pulmonary Data Service Inc, was founded in 1974 to provide products and services in pulmonary function testing and data management. PDA Pharmaceuticals was established in 1996 to provide a consistent supply of airway challenge testing products.
methapharm inc, is a Canadian company specializing in worldwide distribution and marketing of methacholine chloride.
IL Announces Agreement with Shared Services Healthcare
Instrumentation Laboratory SpA (IL), Milan, Italy, and Lexington, Mass, has been awarded a 3-year contract with Shared Services Healthcare Inc, Atlanta.
The agreement covers IL’s complete line of critical care testing instruments, comsumables, service, and information management products. The contract is in line with IL’s aggressive growth strategy aimed at market expansion through solidification of core product lines and expansion into the high-growth Point of Care testing segment.
“This is a particularly attractive contract for both Shared Services and IL. IL is now able to offer its entire portfolio of critical care products to all members of Shared Services and the members will enjoy the benefits of those systems under highly competitive acquisition programs,” says Ramon Benet, vice president of marketing, sales, and service for IL. “The fact that Shared Services selected IL through a rigorous committee-based selection process further demonstrates that IL is the best value in critical care testing today.”
SunCare Announces Hospital Division
SunCare Respiratory Services Inc, Tallahassee, Fla, has announced the formation of a Hospital Contract Division. Tom Futch, president of SunCare, noted, “The scope of hospital patients affected by respiratory diseases is extremely broad and varied, ranging from neonates suffering from incompletely developed respiratory systems to elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), caused by years of environmental or lifestyle-related factors.”
When a hospital contracts with SunCare, it receives complete management services, staffing, access to complex medical equipment, along with the provision of medical gases and respiratory supplies. Through a management agreement, SunCare’s goal is to eliminate overhead expense and benefit costs, as well as reduce supply and inventory expenses. The hospital will also be relieved of medical equipment-related issues such as replacement, obsolescence, depreciation, and maintenance. “The SunCare therapist-driven protocols enable our clients to maximize their clinical outcomes while minimizing their cost,” said Martin L. Plevak, vice president, hospital division.
Richard Sheldon, MD, chairs SunCare’s Medical Advisory Board and has been instrumental in the design of the company’s programs for hospital, skilled nursing, and home-based respiratory therapy. According to Dr Sheldon, many chronic respiratory patients will require some respiratory therapy for the remainder of their lives. With these continuous and increasing demands, SunCare will assist in controlling costs. r
