Thoratec Corp., a product manufacturer in cardiovascular disease, said that its International Technidyne Corporation (ITC) division acquired A-VOX Systems Inc., a manufacturer of point-of-care (POC) instruments and disposables to perform CO-Oximetry testing.

A New UCLA study shows Ceremed Inc.'s Ostene, designed to stop bone bleeding during cardiac surgery, doesn't inhibit bone regeneration and is an effective substitute for commonly used bone wax, a beeswax-based remedy known to obstruct healing that has been in use at least since the Civil War and is a factor in hospital-acquired infections. The study results were announced at a scientific conference in Stockholm and will be published later this year.

Dräger Medical AG & Co. KG today announced that it has expanded its relationship with Masimo and will integrate Masimo Rainbow SET platform as its principal pulse oximetry technology. The Rainbow SET platform offers Masimo SET Read-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry plus upgradeability to add other parameters in the future. Upgrades are available today for carboxyhemoglobin (carbon monoxide) and methemoglobin and others are planned for the future. Dräger Medical will be incorporating Masimo Rainbow SET into major acute care products.

McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) and Per-Se Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSTI) announced today that the two companies have signed a definitive agreement under which McKesson will acquire Per-Se. Per-Se is a leading provider of financial and administrative healthcare solutions for hospitals, physicians and retail pharmacies. Under the terms of the agreement, McKesson will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Per-Se for $28.00 per share in cash.