GE Signs Agreements with Edwards Lifesciences to Provide Miniature Devices for Life-Saving Heart Catheters; Multi-Year Contracts Worth Over $50 Million.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers EDISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2003 GE Thermometrics and GE NovaSensor, leading providers of high quality miniature thermistors, silicon microstructures and sensors, and units of GE Industrial Systems and the General Electric Company (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : GE), have announced two multi-year agreements with Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), a global leader in products and technologies to treat advanced cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease , based in Irvine, California. The agreements, combined worth more than $50 million over the next five years, will provide tiny thermistors and pressure sensors for use in the Swan-Ganz(R) thermodilution catheter and disposable blood pressure transducers produced by Edwards Lifesciences. Used extensively in cardiac diagnostic and corrective procedures, the disposable Swan-Ganz(R) thermodilution catheter is inserted into a vein in the groin or neck of a patient and fed through the heart via the pulmonary artery pulmonary artery n. Abbr. PA 1. An artery that enters the hilus of the right lung, with branches distributed with the bronchi; right pulmonary artery. 2. . A tiny glass sealed GE thermistor Thermistor An electrical resistor with a relatively large negative temperature coefficient of resistance. Thermistors are useful for measuring temperature and gas flow or wind velocity. is located near the tip, where the time-temperature profile is measured by the thermistor. The resulting analysis yields the cardiac output cardiac output n. Abbr. CO The volume of blood pumped from the right or left ventricle in one minute. It is equal to the stroke volume multiplied by the heart rate. or blood volume per minute. GE will also provide its NPC-107 pressure sensor, specifically designed for use in disposable medical applications. The GE NovaSensor device is calibrated cal·i·brate tr.v. cal·i·brat·ed, cal·i·brat·ing, cal·i·brates 1. To check, adjust, or determine by comparison with a standard (the graduations of a quantitative measuring instrument): per the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI AAMI Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI Age Associated Memory Impairment AAMI American Ammunition, Inc (stock symbol) AAMI Australian Associated Motor Insurers Limited AAMI African-American Male Initiative ) guidelines for industry acceptability. The sensor integrates a high-performance pressure sensor die with temperature compensation circuitry and gel protection in a small, low-cost package for use in disposable blood pressure transducers. "Edwards Lifesciences is one of GE Thermometrics and GE NovaSensor's most valued customers," said Kermit B. Hoffman, president of GE Thermometrics. "For many years, we have been a major global supplier of microelectronics and sensor technologies for medical, automotive, industrial, process automation and consumer applications. We are pleased to continue our relationship with Edwards Lifesciences and will continue to deliver the highest quality thermistor and pressure sensor products available today." GE Thermometrics and GE NovaSensor operate as part of the GE Measurement & Sensing Technologies business within GE Industrial Systems. About GE Industrial Systems GE Industrial Systems spans the globe as an industry leader in integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. The business brings to customers the latest technological products used to distribute, protect and control electrical power and equipment, and provides innovative product and service solutions for commercial, industrial, residential and utility applications. For more information visit the website at http://www.geindustrial.com/presscenter/pressroom.htm. About GE Measurement & Sensing Technologies GE Measurement & Sensing Technologies is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of precision temperature, humidity and pressure sensors, field calibrators and measurement instrumentation. With operations around the world, GE Measurement & Sensing Technologies develops technologies and solutions using thermal validation, dew point measurement, gas flow measurement, control circuit protection, liquid level detection, and microstructure mi·cro·struc·ture n. The structure of an organism or object as revealed through microscopic examination. microstructure Noun a structure on a microscopic scale, such as that of a metal or a cell design for products and services in applications such as environmental, marine, meteorology, aerospace, defense, medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, automotive, industrial, commercial, petrochemical, power generation and transportation. About Edwards Lifesciences Edwards Lifesciences is a leader in advanced cardiovascular disease treatments and the number-one heart valve company in the world. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Edwards focuses on four main cardiovascular disease states: heart valve disease, coronary artery disease coronary artery disease, condition that results when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded, most commonly by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous and fatty tissue. , peripheral vascular disease Peripheral Vascular Disease Definition Peripheral vascular disease is a narrowing of blood vessels that restricts blood flow. It mostly occurs in the legs, but is sometimes seen in the arms. and congestive heart failure congestive heart failure, inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time. . The company's global brands, which are sold in over 80 countries, include Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, Swan-Ganz and Fogarty. Additional company information can be found at www.edwards.com. Edwards Lifesciences is a trademark of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, Swan-Ganz and Fogarty are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. |
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