News Story #1005

David Baker Named President of Medcare David Baker has been named the president of Medcare worldwide. Medcare is a leader in sleep diagnostic products, with major market share in North America and Europe. Baker has more than 20 years of management experience and over 10 years in sleep diagnostics where he was one of the original founders of the Sandman sleep diagnostic system, now a Division of Tyco Healthcare. “Medcare is totally focused on sleep diagnostics and one of our major philosophies moving forward will be customer focus with user group meetings in all our markets to hear feedback from our customers,” Baker says.

ResMed Receives Award, Releases S8 Escape
ResMed, Poway, Calif, has been granted the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Sleep Therapy Product Quality Leadership of the Year Award for its S7™ Elite CPAP device. The presentation of the award coincides with the release of ResMed’s newest CPAP device, the S8 Escape™, inaugurating a new generation of high-quality flow generators. “The S8 Escape is the newest innovation in our line of superior quality CPAP devices. We are pleased that Frost & Sullivan has recognized our commitment to product quality, and the S8 will continue our tradition of exceeding customers’ expectations,” says Ron Richard, VP of marketing for the Americas. “The release of the S8 Escape is ResMed’s response to the market demand for a small, portable CPAP device with data downloading capabilities. This device will reinforce our position as the leading provider of high-quality, cost-effective respiratory therapy.”

VivoMetrics Adds New Member to Scientific Advisory Board
VivoMetrics Inc, Ventura, Calif, welcomes Peter Barnes to its scientific advisory board. Barnes brings expertise to VivoMetrics from his work as honorary consultant physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital and head of respiratory medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College in London. Barnes is a highly cited respiratory researcher and has an extensive background in airway and lung pharmacology as well as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As an advisory board member, Barnes will provide input in the continued development of the LifeShirt, a noninvasive, continuous, ambulatory monitoring system that collects data on pulmonary, cardiac, and other physiologic data, and correlates them over time. “We are pleased to add such a prominent scientist to our advisory board to benefit from his expertise and experience, and further position the company as a valuable resource for the scientific community,” says Paul L. Kennedy, president and CEO of VivoMetrics.

AEIOMed Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for the aura CPAP
AEIOMedTM, Minneapolis, recently received FDA 510(k) clearance for its CPAP device, the aura™. The aura offers a compact portable system that eliminates patient compliance excuses based on inconvenience. The aura also features up to 20 cm/H2O, automatic altitude compensation, and selectable compliance periods. “All of us at AEIOMed are pleased to receive 510(k) clearance,” says Steve Bordewick, president and CEO of AEIOMed. “We’ve put our heart and soul into creating the aura CPAP system. We are confident in the difference it will make in the lives of CPAP patients. Now they will be able to experience the difference for themselves.”

Respironics Acquires Mini Mitter Co Inc
Respironics Inc, Murrysville, Pa, recently acquired Mini Mitter Co Inc, Bend, Ore, a 34-year-old, privately held company, which develops and markets sleep and physiological monitoring devices. “This acquisition is consistent with Respironics’ strategic direction to broaden our presence in the sleep market beyond our core OSA business,” says John Miclot, president and CEO of Respironics. “Mini Mitter’s innovative technology will enable us to expand our current position and access new markets that we have identified as key to assuring our continued growth and leadership in the broader sleep market.” The base cash purchase price is $10.5 million, with provisions for additional payments to be made based on Mini Mitter’s operating performance over the next 2 years.

MVAP Launches 2005 Sleep Catalog MVAP Medical Supplies Inc, Newbury Park, Calif, has launched its 2005 Sleep Supply Catalog. This catalog features 80 pages of sleep testing and therapeutic supplies. To order the catalog, visit www.mvapmed.com.

SleepTech Cofounders Step Down
Flaga Group, Rekjavik, Iceland, and Kinnelon, NJ, has announced that the cofounders of SleepTech, Vyto and Patricia Kab, have stepped down from their positions with SleepTech and Medcare following the successful integration of SleepTech with the operations of Flaga. Vyto Kab will remain a director of Flaga until June 2005. Both individuals will retain an association with Flaga during a transition period as consultants on strategic business and operational matters. “The successful integration of SleepTech has been accomplished more quickly than anyone expected,” Vyto Kab says. “Patricia and I both were privileged to play an important role in the integration process, including adding key talent to the management team. We are confident that the company is well positioned to continue its growth in the sleep diagnostics industry.”