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| CenTrak's sensor--Courtesy of CenTrak |
A CenTrak sensor for environmental and pressure monitoring of medicines, vaccines, blood and lab samples.
The U.K.'s Halma became the latest generalist to expand in med tech with the announcement that it has purchased Newton, PA, healthcare sensor company CenTrak for £95.9 million ($140 million). It's the engineering company's second device deal in recent months, as it seeks to bulk up its medical business, which provides about a quarter of the company's £726.1 million ($1 billion) in 2015 annual revenue.
CenTrak makes a variety of real-time location systems for hospitals, such as systems for environmental and pressure monitoring of medicines and vaccines, as well as sensors to ensure hand-hygiene compliance and patient safety and security. Another crucial component is the company's technology for nurse call automation. The company's offerings help meet the increasingly critical goals of improving hospital efficiency and combating hospital-acquired infections.
For instance, CenTrak's medical scope management business should benefit from the ongoing duodenoscope safety, which left several injuries (and some deaths) in its wake, as a result of infected endoscopes. It highlighted the need to properly monitor and track device reprocessing and disinfection.
"CenTrak is an exciting addition to our medical sector. It has a range of sensor and communication technologies which are very similar to those used by other Halma companies in our Infrastructure safety and environmental and analysis sectors, but with a clear focus on medical and healthcare applications. We are looking forward to working with CenTrak's management team towards delivering their growth strategy which includes further market penetration in the USA, international expansion and, in the longer term, potential new applications in other Halma sectors," said Halma CEO Andrew Williams, in a statement.
In December, Halma purchased two makers of ophthalmic diagnostic instruments from Atlas Capital, to add to its device offerings, which include blood pressure monitors and components used in molecular diagnostic equipment.
The deal comes on the heels of the purchase of third-party device manufacturer and components supplier Creganna Medical by Switzerland's TE Connectivity for $895 million. Like Halma, TE Connectivity makes sensors and other technologies for a variety of industries and decided to bulk up in med tech via acquisition.
- read the release