| Health care is a massive, multi-billion dollar industry, and | | | | State Department's international education programs. |
| the development and manufacturing of medical | | | | St. Jude Medical, Inc. |
| equipment is one of its biggest branches. Today there | | | | With annual revenue of $5 billion, St. Jude Medical |
| are hundreds of medical manufacturing companies | | | | specializes in the development and manufacture of |
| working daily to find better and more profitable health | | | | medical devices. It sells its products in over 100 |
| care technology. Most the top medical manufacturers | | | | countries and has operations in 20 different facilities |
| are global corporations that take part in several | | | | worldwide. Some of its products include artificial |
| different aspects of the medical industry. Here are 5 | | | | pacemakers, catheters, spinal cord stimulators, heart |
| of the top medical equipment manufacturers in the | | | | valves and implantable defibrillators. St. Jude Medical |
| world today. | | | | was founded in 1976. |
| Cardinal Health, Inc. | | | | Boston Scientific Corporation |
| Cardinal was founded in 1971 by Robert D. Walter and | | | | Founded in 1979, Boston Scientific is among the top |
| actually started off as a food wholesaler. When it | | | | medical equipment manufacturers in the world, |
| acquired Bailey Drug Company eight years later, | | | | specializing in interventional medical devices. It's most |
| Cardinal began selling pharmaceutical drugs. Today, | | | | famous product is the Taxus Stent, a device used to |
| Cardinal Health is ranked 18th on Fortune 500's list, and | | | | open clogged arteries. Boston Scientific has annual |
| with an annual revenue of $97 billion, it is heavily | | | | revenue of more than $7 billion. It recently acquired one |
| involved in the research and development of new | | | | of its biggest competitors, Guidant, for about $27 billion. |
| drugs and medical equipment. | | | | Medtronic, Inc. |
| Johnson & Johnson | | | | Medtronic is the world's biggest developer and |
| The famous manufacturer of the popular Band-Aid | | | | manufacturer of medical technology. It is listed among |
| bandages, Tylenol painkillers and Johnson's baby | | | | the Fortune 500 companies, bringing in annual revenue |
| products is also one of the world's biggest | | | | of over $12 billion. Based in Minneapolis, Medtronic was |
| manufacturers of non-surgical medical equipment. | | | | founded in 1949 by Earl Bakken and Palmer |
| Founded in 1886, Johnson & Johnson has been on | | | | Hermundsile, who first worked out of their garage, |
| the Fortune 500 list for decades and has annual | | | | fixing and selling equipment built by other companies. |
| revenue of over $61 billion. It has an acclaimed | | | | As it expanded, Medtronic began developing its own |
| corporate reputation and was awarded the Benjamin | | | | hardware. Today, the company is famous for |
| Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy for funding the | | | | manufacturing the first wearable artificial pacemakers. |