The acquisition of Datascope Corporation by Maquet’s parent group, Getinge, reinforces the company’s focus on cardiac surgery and vascular intervention. Maquet is already a leading supplier of equipment and systems for operating theatres and critical care units, and this latest move builds on last year’s acquisition of the cardiac and vascular business of Boston Scientific.
Datascope products can be found in more than 80 countries worldwide. They are used by cardiologists, interventional radiologists, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons, critical care clinicians and their teams. During the past 40 years, the company has been at the forefront of developments, an innovator across its entire product range and a global leader in counterpulsation therapy. Products and therapies from Datascope’s Intervascular and Cardiac Assist divisions, will extend the Maquet offering and strengthen the company’s presence in the cardiovascular arena. The Intervascular division designs, manufactures and distributes products for vascular surgery and endovascular interventions. It is a leading worldwide supplier of a full range of polyester, collagen-coated knitted and woven vascular grafts, patches and graft stents. Since 1987, more than 1,000,000 Intervascular products have been implanted, including 110,000 InterGard Silver products.
Pioneering therapies
With these and its existing products, Maquet can offer a comprehensive range of grafts for open surgery as well as endovascular procedures, extending the company’s reach into the rapidly growing peripheral vascular stent market. The Datascope silver impregnated grafts, for example, are the world’s first antimicrobial vascular grafts specifically designed to prevent graft-related infection by the most common infection agents during the acute post-operative period. Through its Cardiac Assist division, Datascope has led the market for counterpulsation therapy since the 1970s. It is a tried and tested therapy, which is used to improve the blood circulation in a patient’s coronary arteries and is used in conjunction with both surgical interventions and cardiology procedures. The products, which are used in counterpulsation therapy, are Intra Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABP) and balloon catheters where the disposable balloon catheter is inserted percutaneously into the patient’s thoracic aorta. IABP therapy has been in use for more than 30 years. It is used to help restore the balance between the supply of oxygen-rich blood the heart receives from the coronary arteries, and the amount of oxygen the heart needs to pump. Balloon pumps typically support patients during open-heart surgery, coronary angioplasty, and in other cases where the heart is functioning abnormally (indications for use). IAB catheters can be inserted under local anaesthetic. Improvements in the technology over the years have resulted in a reduction of patient risk and discomfort. The Cardiac Assist division also offers an innovative and rapidly growing haemostasis product to stop bleeding after catheterisation. Safeguard is the first product to combine a built-in inflatable bulb and a sterile dressing – providing adjustable pressure to the site when needed. The Safeguard Manual Assist Technique (SMAT) clinical trial demonstrates that Safeguard 24 cm is safe and effective in reducing active compression time in femoral artery cannulation following diagnostic and interventional procedures. Safeguard simplifies pre- and post-haemostasis management of the access site. It reduces demands on the staff, maximises valuable resources, and enhances patient comfort. Datascope brings to Maquet an impressive portfolio of products and therapies that will be fully integrated within the company’s growing range. An important part of this integration process involves the service side of the business. To ensure that all customers receive the best possible support, Maquet has already embarked on a comprehensive training programme to cross train engineers on heart-lung machines and balloon pumps. The aim is to extend the same level and quality of service across all perfusion products. This latest acquisition will support the company’s ambitions to become the leading provider of products and therapies in healthcare. By working with customers, Maquet aims to develop and deliver the best solution for clinicians and their patients
