| Medical equipment manufacturing is a multi-billion dollar | | | | development and production of drugs and medical |
| industry. Companies who develop and produce | | | | equipment. |
| medical devices and tools form an integral part of | | | | St. Jude Medical, Inc. |
| today’s health care industry. But while there are | | | | This is a smaller company that specializes in the |
| many medical equipment manufacturers, only a handful | | | | development and production of medical devices, |
| are responsible for the majority of the products used | | | | including artificial pacemakers, catheters, and |
| in the field. Here are 5 of the biggest makers of | | | | implantable defibrillators. St. Jude was founded in 1976 |
| medical equipment today. | | | | and sells its products in over 100 countries. |
| Medtronic, Inc. | | | | Johnson & Johnson |
| The number one developer and manufacturer of | | | | Aside from its famed line of consumer health products, |
| medical equipment, Medtronic rakes in annual revenue | | | | Johnson & Johnson is also one of the world’s |
| of $12 billion, and is listed among the Fortune 500 | | | | biggest manufacturers of non-surgical medical |
| companies. It is based in Minneapolis, where it was | | | | equipment. The company was founded in 1886 and |
| founded in 1949 by Earl Bakken and Palmer | | | | has been on the list of Fortune 500 companies of |
| Hermundsile, who started off by fixing medical | | | | many consecutive years. It has an annual revenue of |
| equipment in their garage. Bakken became well known | | | | over $61 billion and a reputation for having one of the |
| for coming up with the first wearable artificial | | | | best corporate systems in the business. |
| pacemaker. | | | | Boston Scientific Corporation |
| Cardinal Health, Inc. | | | | Boston Scientific is among the very top of today’s |
| Established in 1971 by Robert D. Walter, Cardinal was | | | | medical equipment manufacturers, specializing in |
| actually a foods wholesaler first. It wasn’t until its | | | | interventional medical equipment. Boston Scientific is |
| acquisition of the Bailey Drug Company in 1979 that | | | | known for having produced the Taxus Stent, a device |
| Cardinal stepped into the medical field as a seller of | | | | for opening up clogged arteries. The company has |
| pharmaceutical drugs. Fortune 500 ranks Cardinal at | | | | annual revenue of $7 billion. |
| number 18. The company has reported annual revenue | | | | When researching medical equipment, remember to |
| of $97 billion and it is involved in continuous | | | | buy refurbished autoclaves which can be found online. |