Industry News

Merger of Circle Medical Devices, Texcel Medical Results in CIRTEC Medical Systems

A new medical product design firm has entered the market. Circle Medical Devices of Los Gatos, Calif., and Texcel Medical of Springfield, Mass., have merged to create a new medical product design and manufacturing solutions firm, CIRTEC Medical Systems. The new company will operate from three locations throughout the United States: Texcel’s facility in Springfield, and Circle Medical’s plants in Los Gatos and Minneapolis, Minn.

Jerry Hansen will serve as CIRTEC’s executive chairman (he’s also the founder) alongside Larry Derose (chairman and founder). Michael Forman has been named president and chief technology officer.

“CIRTEC Medical Systems combines the strength of Circle Medical’s extensive design and development capability with Texcel Medical’s development and manufacturing,” said Barry Smith, CIRTEC’s CEO. “This union creates a strong, technically-driven 130-person medical device engineering and manufacturing industry resource that is experienced across all therapeutic categories. Our team has particular expertise in minimally invasive systems, active and passive implants, and medical electronics.”

Smith said the two companies have helped create and bring to market more than 300 medical devices. Their clients have ranged from startup medical technology innovators to international device manufacturers.

The merger of both companies occurred just two months after Texcel announced a string of new appointments and the addition of nearly $1 million worth of new manufacturing equipment. At the time the announcement was made, Smith said the expansion would enable Texcel to expand its support and services for medical device manufacturers.

The company’s investments in new capital manufacturing technology included the acquisition of a new Lasag SLS 200 CL Series industrial laser, a ProLas multipurpose compact laser machining workstation, a new low-volume helium leak detection system, and an optical inspection station.

“These new investments in manufacturing technology—combined with our new appointments—strengthen our ability to help medical device firms achieve their development milestones and slash both the time and cost of introducing new product innovations to market,” Smith said.

Flextronics Acquires European Medical Device Manufacturer

EMS giant Flextronics is giving its medical disposables business a boost with the purchase of Slomedical S.R.O.

The deal, which is taking place through a share purchase agreement, is expected to close before the end of the calendar year, pending required regulatory clearances.

The acquisition is expected to further expand Flextronics’ footprint in the disposable medical device arena and increase Slomedical’s customer base.

“We evaluated many companies to determine the best fit for the acquisition of our organization. Flextronics is the ideal organization based on its ability to augment our current capabilities and its significant market strength in the medical space,” said Frank Sodha, managing director of the Slovakian company. “We have grown to a point that in order to expand and support the growing needs of our customers, we must partner with a larger organization.”

Flextronics has made a concerted effort this year to grow its disposable medical device business. Besides acquiring Slo-medical, the company expanded its facility in Tijuana, Mexico, to include plastic injection molding and plastic extrusion as well as a cleanroom.

“The major expansion of our Tijuana, Mexico, campus and the acquisition of Slomedical will significantly expand our ability to serve the global disposables medical device market for European and multinational customers,” said Dan Croteau, president of FlexMedical, a market segment of Flextronics. “Upon completion of the deal, we look forward to expanding Slomedical’s operations and investing in additional manufacturing capabilities, quality systems and design services to deliver more value, lower costs and faster time-to-market to our customers.”

Headquartered in Singapore, Flextronics provides design, engineering and manufacturing services to OEMs in various industries, including medical and mobile.

Tegra Medical Adds Injection and Insert Molding Capabilities

Tegra Medical is now offering insert and injection molding services at its Dartmouth, Mass., facility.

The Franklin, Mass.-based manufacturer of wire and tubular components added the services to its offering to better serve its customers. Tegra executives purchased a 44-ton Arburg Allrounder molding machine that is best suited to produce the minimally invasive components and assemblies as well as specialty needles demanded by customers. The machine operates in a horizontal or vertical manner to produce injection molded components, insert molding onto a metal component or assembly and overmold plastic components.

“This capacity…will simplify [our customers’] supply chains,” said Tom Burns, vice president of business development. “It is a natural extension of our current capabilities and something we’ve had repeated requests for.”

Tegra housed the molding equipment in a custom-built 1,500-square-foot space.

“Since purchasing American Medical Instruments and the 57,000-square-foot Dartmouth facility in late 2007, we’ve made a number of improvements to the site,” said Bob Roche, Tegra Medical president and chief operating officer. “The timing is perfect to add this capability to the precision grinding, finishing operations and automated assembly already in place.”

G&F Industries Subsidiary Switches Focus and Facility

G&F Industries’ sister company, UPCOA, is changing its focus, name and facility.

According to UPCOA (now G&F Medical), which recently moved its operations from Danvers, Mass., to Peabody, Mass., the name change reflects an increased emphasis on medical device component manufacturing.

Nirav Patel, general manager of Sturbridge, Mass.-based G&F Medical, said he hopes the new facility will boost employee moral and productivity.

The new 14,500-square-foot building has an ISO Class 8 cleanroom and space for the future addition of a Class 7 cleanroom (if necessary). Perhaps one of the best features, however, is its location: the new facility is only five miles from the old one.

The building has an open floor plan, a feature that is expected to improve production efficiency. For example, quality inspection is located near manufacturing, a move that has resulted in better visibility and communication with production, the company said.

G&F Medical provides medical device and manufacturing companies with silicone injection molding, medial thermoplastic molding, component assembly and part design services. G&F Industries, also headquartered in Sturbridge, Mass., specializes in precision plastic injection molded parts, contract manufacturing, injection molds and assemblies.

Nolato Medical Expands Technology Center

Swedish medical device supplier Nolato Medical is expanding its technology center.

The move comes as the Malmo, Sweden-based provider of polymer-based solutions attempts to meet an increase in demand from customers for complex product development in Europe, Asia and North America.

“We create true partnerships through honesty and a straightforward dialoguewith our customers. By keeping ourcustomers informed of the progress throughout the development and production process, they can plan capacities and sales efforts accordingly. This has now led us to increase our efforts in customer development projects to meet requests for solutions to some complex problems,” said Christer Wahlquist, Nolato Medical’s president.

Nolato has manufacturing operations in Sweden, Eastern Europe and China. It makes products and components such as diabetes care products, asthma treatment devices and external catheters.

TechDevice Expands Grinding Capabilities

TechDevice has made an investment in its precision grinding capabilities.

New systems at the manufacturer of balloons, catheters, guidewires and components feature CAM technology and technology for profilometry analysis for surface measurement.

“Now, many more grinding options are possible, and delivered faster, whether it’s for a core only job, or as part of a finished guidewire project,” said Michael Brown, vice president of operations for the Watertown, Mass., firm.

Single/multi-tapered grinds, profile grinds and custom shapes and configurations are available upon request. Additionally, nitinol components are a specialized focus for the firm, as well as stainless steel materials.

Lohmann GmbH & Co.Purchases Die Cutting Firm

Lohmann GmbH & Co. has acquired G&L Precision Die Cutting Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Lohmann manufactures specialty adhesive tapes and high-precision die cuts used in various industries, including automotive, electronic devices and hygienic products.

“The acquision of G&L fills an important role for our global growth plans. We now have a base of operations to support our growth in the Western U.S., while also gaining access to the market of point-of-care medical devices,” said Steven De Jong, president of Lohmann Corp. USA.

G&L Precision Die Cutting is a full-service converter, specializing in tight-tolerance rotary and flat bed die-cutting, slitting, laser-cutting, printing and multi-layer laminating.

Caragh Precision Launches Innovation Center

Caragh Precision’s Innovation Centre will offer services from concept to manufacturing. Photo courtesy of Caragh Precision.

Caragh Precision, a supplier of precision-machined metal and plastic components for the medical and orthopedic device industries, has launched an innovation center.The facility will work with medical device companies to bring new products to market—from concept, product testing, and packaging to manufacturing, the Galway, Ireland-based firm said.

“We have a team of design engineers with knowledge in medical device design and manufacturing. Our aim is to provide a turnkey solution to medical device companies, working with them as an outsource partner from product and equipment design to prototyping and volume manufacturing,” said Richard Gribbons, innovation and commercial director.The innovation center will be housed in a 40,000-square-foot facility in Galway’s Parkmore Business Park.

Biotech in Brief

MD Biosciences has created a new division, MD Bioproducts, to develop high quality research products. The new division, according to a news release from the St. Paul, Minn.-based company, will allow MD Biosciences to “strengthen and expand its product offering for immunology and cell biology while maintaining its contract research focus within inflammation and neurology disease research”… Beckman Coulter Inc. has created a new company called Beckman Coulter Genomics, headquartered in Beverly, Mass. The new company, which combines Agencourt Bioscience Corporation and Cogenics, offers researchers a single genomic services resource with expanded global capabilities… Another Beverly, Mass.-based firm, INVO Bioscience Inc., has signed three Latin American distribution contracts that will allow the company to sell its products throughout Central and South America. INVO’s CEO said the agreements will give the medical device firm access to an untapped market of more than 9 million infertile couples in that region. INVO is a medical device firm that has developed INVOcell, a product that enables egg fertilization and fosters early embryo development…The BIO International Convention has been named one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows for 2009 by Tradeshow Week, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based trade magazine covering the tradeshow industry. The event, which took place in Atlanta, Ga., this year, has received the same honor for the last two consecutive years…Cardium Therapeutics is developing a DNA-based orthobiologics product portfolio that will focus on non-union bone fractures and spinal fusion for patients with degenerative disc disease. The San Diego, Calif.-based firm is already developing Osteorate, a DNA-based non-surgical injectible bone graft gel to repair fractures and regenerate tissue in certain medically-compromised patients…A new study has found that stronger connections among businesses, universities and people must exist in order for the biotechnology industry to survive and thrive in Los Angeles. An 18-month study conducted by professor Steven Casper of the Keck Graduate Institute found that cities such as Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.; and Los Angeles lack a rich social network that connects those most interested in starting biotechnology companies: scientists, entrepreneurs, managers and venture capitalists.

ISO Certifications

•Claros Diagnostics Inc., a Woburn, Mass.-based developer of point-of-care immunoassay systems, has received ISO 13485:2003 certification. Michael J. Magliochetti, Ph.D., Claros president and CEO, said the certification is reflective of the company’s mission and strategy as it prepares to release its products internationally.

•Foliage, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of custom software development services and product strategy consulting, has achieved ISO 9001:2008 recertification. The company’s vice president of quality and regulatory affairs said the achievement demonstrates Foliage’s commitment to high quality services. “When providing integrated, business-critical product strategy services and software development, it is important for our clients and their customers that we not only provide quality services, but are continuously improving our quality and efficiency as well,” Chris Bowe noted.

•ISO 13485:2003 recertification has been awarded to Ximedica LLC, a medical device designer, developer and contract manufacturer based in Providence, R.I. The firm’s director of quality services said the recertification reflects the company’s commitment to hiqh quality standards and continuous improvement.