Physio-Control was founded in 1955 by Dr. Karl William Edmark as a pioneering company in the field of portable defibrillation. Physio-Control manufactures emergency defibrillation and automated CPR equipment. The company was most recently acquired in 2016 by Stryker Corporation and is now part of Stryker's Emergency Care division.
In 1955, Dr. Karl William Edmark created The Physio-Control Co. to sell his first Patient Monitor, which simply triggered a light whenever a patient's heart beat, and set off an alarm when a heartbeat is no longer detected. His device was patented as a "Heartbeat Indicator". After moving to Seattle, he developed the first DCDefibrillator. Medical defibrillators at the time used Alternating current which caused patients to spasm violently because of the high voltage. The DC defibrillator allowed surgeons to administer a more-controlled, low-voltage shock that restored the heartbeat without causing additional trauma.[1]
In 1968, Physio-Control introduced the Lifepak 33 at the annual American Heart Association meeting in November 1968. The idea for the first Lifepak came after Physio-Control learned that Zenith Corp. was developing a 56-pound monitor/defibrillator that was bulky, however portable. With a total weight of 34 pounds, the Lifepak 33 was the lightest defibrillator available at the time. Customers included the United States Navy, who installed Lifepak 33s on both Air Force One and Air Force Two.[1]
In 1971, Physio-Control went public and was then acquired by Eli Lilly and Company[2] in 1980 in a stock deal worth about $145 million, returning $170,000 for every $1,000 the original investors had put into the company in 1966.
In 1992, Physio-Control voluntarily shut down production of its defibrillators and patient monitors after a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the company had failed to follow “good manufacturing practices,” including inadequate failure investigations, not properly inspecting critical components of its products, and failing to adequately document manufacturing and testing procedures in writing.[1]
In July 1994, Physio-Control was sold to Bain Capital Corp., a Boston investment group, for $23.3 million. Steve Pagliuca, managing director at Bain Capital, was named chairman of Physio-Control.[1]
In 1998, Physio-Control was acquired by Medtronic for $538 million in 1998, and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary named Medtronic Physio-Control. The company was later renamed to Medtronic Emergency Response Systems in 2004.[3]
In 2003, Medtronic Physio-Control announced the launch of the LUCAS CPR device, a mechanical compression device driven pneumatically via an oxygen cylinder. It was able to provide more consistent and effective compression over longer spans than First Responders, and has now become an essential part of many ambulance kits.[4]
In 2006, Medtronic announced a spin-off of Physio-Control, however the company was still owned by Medtronic at this time.[5] In 2008, shortly after the spin-off was launched, Physio-Control launched the Lifepak 15 Monitor/Defibrillator.
In 2011, The company was reacquired and was taken private by Bain Capital, however the company remained a separate entity.[6]
In 2016, Stryker Corporation announced their agreement to acquire Physio-Control International, Inc. for $1.28 Billion[7][self-published source?]. Shortly after this acquisition, The LUCAS 3.1 device was launched, and featured the Stryker logo, replacing the Physio-Control logo.
As of 2022, Physio-Control, Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of Stryker Corporation and operates under the Stryker Emergency Care division. Physio-Control acts as the product designer and manufacturer while Stryker distributes the product through their channels.[8]
In 2024, Physio-Control and Stryker released the LIFEPAK 35 Monitor/Defibrillator which is now the flagship product of the company.[9]
Products
The company's products are primarily for the emergency treatment of sudden cardiac arrest events. The Lifepak line of defibrillators includes both advanced units for advanced cardiac life support trained personnel, and automated external defibrillators for use by first responders and the general public. Additionally, the company distributes an automated chest compression system called LUCAS. While this system is typically used in the field, it has also been used in the hospital setting to prolong human life while surgical or other procedures are accomplished.[10] Physio-Control also produced a CPR coaching device called the TrueCPR coaching device.
Notable Uses and Customers
Lifepaks (typically the 12 and 15) are commonly used in medical TV shows, as their large screen can be modified and replaced with a tablet or other screen to display altered vitals or other information to better suit the show. In August 2008, NASA officially deployed a Lifepak 1000 AED on the International Space Station,[11] which was eventually returned to Physio-Control in October 2011.[12]
According to official Physio-Control media, a Lifepak 8 was deployed by NASA, however no further info or alternate sources exist to substantiate this claim.
NSW Ambulance is the third-largest ambulance service in the world[13] and currently owns over 1000 Lifepak 15 defibrillators. Prior to purchasing the Lifepak 15s, NSWA used a mixture of ZOLL M-Series monitors and Lifepak 10s in their "General Duties" cars, and Intensive Care Paramedics were given access to Lifepak 12s due to their enhanced diagnostic and monitoring capabilities. NSWA is also currently performing a complete roll-out of LUCAS 3 devices to all General Duty and Intensive Care ambulances.[14]
East Midlands Ambulance Service also uses Lifepak 15 defibrillators currently, however their date of introduction is unknown. Many EMAS ambulances also carry LUCAS devices.[15]
Many ambulance companies throughout the US use Lifepak monitor/defibrillators as well, however more detailed statistics are not currently available due to the number of ambulance companies present in the US.
2022 Merge with Stryker
In 2022, 6 years after Stryker's acquisition of Physio-Control, Stryker silently released the updated LIFEPAK 15 V4+ which featured the Stryker logo in place of the Physio-Control logo.[8] Alongside the release of this new model, all legacy Physio-Control websites (with the exception of "lucas-cpr.com") were removed, with their URLs being redirected to Stryker's "Emergency Care" page. On social media platforms, Physio-Control Inc. is referred to as "Physio-Control, Now part of Stryker" to highlight the acquisition.[16] Physio-Control Inc. remains as a wholly owned subsidiary of Stryker that designs and manufactures product to then be distributed through Stryker Emergency Care.[17]
Related Research Articles
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation, or mouth to mouth in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. It is recommended for those who are unresponsive with no breathing or abnormal breathing, for example, agonal respirations.
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current to the heart. Although not fully understood, this process depolarizes a large amount of the heart muscle, ending the arrhythmia. Subsequently, the body's natural pacemaker in the sinoatrial node of the heart is able to re-establish normal sinus rhythm. A heart which is in asystole (flatline) cannot be restarted by a defibrillator; it would be treated only by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and medication, and then by cardioversion or defibrillation if it converts into a shockable rhythm.
An automated external defibrillator or automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
Stryker Corporation is an American multinational medical technologies corporation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Stryker's products include implants used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries; surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems; endoscopic and communications systems; patient handling and emergency medical equipment; neurosurgical, neurovascular and spinal devices; as well as other medical device products used in a variety of medical specialties.
A certified first responder is a person who has completed a course and received certification in providing pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. Certified individuals should have received much more instruction than someone who is trained in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but they are not necessarily a substitute for more advanced emergency medical care rendered by emergency medical technicians and paramedics. First responders typically provide advanced first aid level care, CPR, and automated external defibrillator (AED) usage. The term "certified first responder" is not to be confused with "first responder", which is a generic term referring to the first medically trained responder to arrive on scene and medically trained telecommunication operators who provide pre-arrival medical instructions as trained Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD). Many police officers and firefighters are required to receive training as certified first responders. Advanced medical care is typically provided by EMS, although some police officers and firefighters also train to become emergency medical technicians or paramedics.
Basic life support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening condition of cardiac arrest until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, such as emergency medical technicians, qualified bystanders and anybody who is trained for providing BLS and/or ACLS.
The Seattle & King County Emergency Medical Services System is a fire-based two-tier response system providing prehospital basic and advanced life support services.
Medtronic plc is an American-Irish medical device company. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its legal headquarters are in Ireland due to its acquisition of Irish-based Covidien in 2015. While it primarily operates in the United States, it operates in more than 150 countries and employs over 90,000 people. It develops and manufactures healthcare technologies and therapies. It is one of the biggest medical tech companies in the world and is currently the largest medical device company in the world by revenue.
Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a set of life saving protocols and skills that extend basic life support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation (breathing).
Guidant Corporation, part of Boston Scientific and Abbott Labs, designs and manufactures artificial cardiac pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, stents, and other cardiovascular medical products. Their company headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their main competitors are Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, and Johnson and Johnson.
In the United States, the paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for patients who access Emergency Medical Services (EMS). This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation. Paramedics function as part of a comprehensive EMS response under physician medical direction. Paramedics often serve in a prehospital role, responding to Public safety answering point (9-1-1) calls in an ambulance. The paramedic serves as the initial entry point into the health care system. A standard requirement for state licensure involves successful completion of a nationally accredited Paramedic program at the certificate or associate degree level.
The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust is the national ambulance service for Wales. It was established on 1 April 1998 and as of December 2018 has 3,400 staff providing ambulance and related services to the 3 million residents of Wales. As of 1 April 2024, the trust was awarded "university" status by the Welsh government, making it the second ambulance trust to achieve university status in the United Kingdom.
Cardiac monitoring generally refers to continuous or intermittent monitoring of heart activity to assess a patient's condition relative to their cardiac rhythm. Cardiac monitoring is usually carried out using electrocardiography, which is a noninvasive process that records the heart's electrical activity and displays it in an electrocardiogram. It is different from hemodynamic monitoring, which monitors the pressure and flow of blood within the cardiovascular system. The two may be performed simultaneously on critical heart patients. Cardiac monitoring for ambulatory patients is known as ambulatory electrocardiography and uses a small, wearable device, such as a Holter monitor, wireless ambulatory ECG, or an implantable loop recorder. Data from a cardiac monitor can be transmitted to a distant monitoring station in a process known as telemetry or biotelemetry.
The National Ambulance Service is the statutory public ambulance service in Ireland. The service is operated by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, the Irish national healthcare authority.
Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Service, known commonly as LIVES, is a registered charity staffed by volunteers providing pre-hospital care services across Lincolnshire, England. LIVES operates alongside the East Midlands Ambulance Service to provide clinical and critical care skills as well as immediate medical responses in the form of community first responders. LIVES operates under the national pre-hospital care co-ordinating body, the British Association for Immediate Care. LIVES is a registered provider of healthcare with the Care Quality Commission.
New Orleans Emergency Medical Services is the primary provider of advanced life support emergency medical services to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Unlike most other emergency medical services in the United States, New Orleans EMS operates as a third service and is not part of the New Orleans Fire Department; rather, New Orleans EMS is operated by the New Orleans Health Department and the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is an independent statutory organisation responsible for implementing, monitoring and further developing the standards of care provided by all statutory, private and voluntary ambulance services in Ireland. It is also responsible for conducting examinations at six levels of pre-hospital care, the control of ambulance practitioner registration and the publication of clinical practice guidelines.
Lifepak is a series of vital signs monitors and external cardiac defibrillators produced by medical technology company Physio-Control.
The McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service, formally the McKeesport Ambulance Authority, is a non-profit emergency medical services agency which provides emergency medical and patient transport services to the City of McKeesport and a number of surrounding municipalities. It was established in 1991, and is assigned station number 620 by Allegheny County Emergency Services.
The Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System (LUCAS) device provides mechanical chest compressions to patients in cardiac arrest. It is mostly used in emergency medicine as an alternative to manual CPR because it provides consistent compressions at a fixed rate through difficult transport conditions and eliminates the physical strain on the person performing CPR. The first generation of the LUCAS device was pneumatic, while the second and third generations are battery-operated.
↑ College, Australian Paramedical (February 24, 2014). "Become a Paramedic in NSW: Part 2". Australian Paramedical College. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
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