Profile: Zoll Medical Corp (ZOLL.O)

ZOLL Medical Corporation (ZOLL), incorporated in 1980, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions. With products for defibrillation and monitoring, circulation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) feedback, data management, fluid resuscitation, and therapeutic temperature management, the Company provides a set of technologies, which help clinicians, emergency medical services (EMS) and fire professionals, and lay rescuers treat victims needing resuscitation and critical care. ZOLL’s line of resuscitation products include professional defibrillators, automated external defibrillator (AED), AutoPulse Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pump, documentation and information management, wearable automatic defibrillator, fluid replacement and disposable electrodes. The Company also designs and markets software that automates the documentation, and management of both clinical and non-clinical information. On May 4, 2009, it acquired the intravascular temperature management business of Alsius Corporation.

Professional Defibrillators

A professional defibrillator is used by trained healthcare professionals to defibrillate a person in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Healthcare professionals can review a patient’s heart rhythm, determine the need for a shock and manually select the level of energy (dose, calculated in joules) used to defibrillate. ZOLL’s professional defibrillators also include monitoring selectable parameters (such as oxygen saturation levels, 12-lead acquisition and analysis, invasive and non-invasive blood pressure, and end tidal CO2 concentrations among others) to provide an assessment of a patient’s condition. The M Series family of products was designed for both the hospital and pre-hospital markets. ZOLL sells 11 models of this device, including a model designed for critical care transport, and a model tested and certified for use on military aircraft. Real CPR Help is a real-time feedback that measures the rate and depth of chest compressions.

The E Series family of products is a line of defibrillators for the pre-hospital environment, which also offers a range of similar monitoring and data features that are also available on the M Series. The E Series is targeted towards advanced life support providers, and it includes all of the features of the M Series, including Real CPR Help. R Series defibrillators are designed for hospitals. The R Series simplifies and speeds deployment of pacing and defibrillation therapy. It also offers tools that can help clinicians improve CPR performance. Finally, the R Series offers automated checks designed to help maximize the readiness of the R Series for clinicians, as well as a range of monitoring and data features that are also available on the M Series and E Series.

Automated External Defibrillators

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that analyzes the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, allows a rescuer to deliver an electric shock to a victim of SCA. An AED can automatically determine the appropriate treatment for the victim and provide rescuers with instructions usually through audio and text prompts. It typically consists of a main unit that provides controls and instructions and detachable electrodes that the rescuer places on the victim’s body. The AED Plus provides real time feedback related to both rate and depth of chest compressions to a rescuer, referred to as Real CPR Help. The AED Pro offers Real CPR Help, a large display that allows users to see the patient’s ECG. It also offers advanced capabilities for basic life support (BLS) and ALS users.

AutoPulse Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pump

The Company develops and markets the ZOLL AutoPulse, which is manufactured at its facility in Sunnyvale, California. The AutoPulse is an automated, portable device that provides temporary circulation of blood to patients whose hearts have stopped pumping blood. It is comprised of a backboard and a simple load-distributing LifeBand that fastens across a victim’s chest. The AutoPulse automatically calculates the patient’s shape and size for maximum compression/decompression benefit without the need to enter patient information or make manual adjustments. The AutoPulse compresses the entire chest in a unique, consistent hands-free manner, moving much more blood than can be moved with manual CPR chest compressions. Additionally, it offers the benefit of freeing up rescuers from performing manual chest compressions so they can focus on other life-saving interventions.

Information Management

The Company provides various software products to support an EMS and fire organization’s operation. ZOLL develops and markets ZOLL RescueNet, an integrated suite of data management solutions that is designed to maximize specific business processes through the information presented through a common database. RescueNet is an integrated data management system that gathers and centralizes information and links the pre-hospital chain of events into a single EMS system. Included in the range of products offered to emergency services agencies by ZOLL are computer assisted dispatching programs, crew and traffic scheduling software, fire records management software for fire department incident reporting and pre-planning. Data reporting to federal agencies, such as the National Fire Incident Reporting System and the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, is also incorporated into many of the software products. Other capabilities include reports for EMS event and patient data in required formats to multiple state EMS agencies in software products produced by ZOLL.

Fluid Replacement

ZOLL manufactures and markets the Power Infuser, a small, lightweight device that provides highly controlled, rapid delivery of intravenous (IV) fluids to trauma victims. Primarily sold to the military, this product has applications in aeromedical transport, EMS, and emergency room settings. The Power Infuser utilizes a patented process to control the infusion of fluid into the patient to improve the resuscitation benefit. Its automated fluid control features are suited to the harsh conditions typically found on a battlefield or in EMS environments.

Disposable Electrodes

ZOLL offers a variety of single-patient-use, disposable electrodes for use with ZOLL’s line of defibrillators and AEDs. Its electrode product line includes the pro•padz Biphasic Multi-function Electrodes designed for use with the ZOLL Rectilinear Biphasic waveform for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation. The OneStep System provides a single cable for pacing, monitoring, and defibrillation. It also includes one electrode set, through which clinicians can monitor, pace, defibrillate, and get real-time feedback on chest compressions, also known as Real CPR Help. The one-piece CPR-D•padz electrode, which also includes Real CPR Help to provide feedback on the quality of CPR compressions, is sold in conjunction with ZOLL’S AED Plus automated external defibrillator.

Wearable Automatic Defibrillator

ZOLL manufactures and markets wearable external defibrillator systems in its Pittsburgh facility. The ZOLL LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator is worn by patients at risk for SCA, providing protection during their changing condition and while permanent SCA risk has not been established. The device is prescribed by a physician, typically a cardiologist, for a patient to wear during a period of temporary risk of a fatal arrhythmic event. The LifeVest allows a patient’s physician time to assess their long-term arrhythmic risk and make appropriate plans. The LifeVest is used for a range of indications, including following a heart attack, before or after bypass surgery or stent placement, as well as for those with cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure that places them at particular risk. In addition, the LifeVest is worn by patients awaiting an implantable defibrillator or explantation of an implantable device due to infection.

Temperature Management

Temperature management products include a portable cooling and warming device for fluid that is circulated within an intravascular catheter that exchanges heat between the catheter and circulating blood and a selection of three different intravascular catheters. The circulating fluid and resultant heat transfer can produce a lowering of body temperature in a hypothermic patient or raising of body temperature in a hypothermic patient with a very controlled rate of cooling and rewarming, and achievement of target temperatures in comparison to other crude, such as ice or more sophisticated surface-based technologies. This therapy has established therapeutic benefits in fever management in patients with cerebral infarction and intracranial hemorrhage, such as stroke. This therapy is also used to induce, maintain and reverse mild hypothermia in neurosurgery, surgery, recovery and intensive care.

The Company competes with Physio-Control, Royal Philips Electronics, Cardiac Science Corporation, Heartsine Technologies, Defibtech, Sansio, Healthware Technologies, Inc., Safety Pad Software, ImageTrend, Inc., eCore Software Solutions, Inc., PDSI Software, Inc., EnRoute Emergency Services, DocuMed, Inc., Tritech Software Systems, Inc., Ortivus AB, RAM Software Systems, Inc., Intergraph Corporation, Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., Emergency Reporting, Inc., AmbPac, Inc., ESO Solutions, Golden Hour, Innovative Engineering, Medivance Inc., Gaymar Industries, Inc. and Cincinnati SubZero Products, Inc.