Medtronic acquires Aircraft Medical for £72m

Medtronic has acquired Aircraft Medical, a company with a device that enables clinicians to see vocal cords, for £72 million

The Aircraft Medical acquisition was an all-cash transaction of £72 million ($110m), which expands Medtronic's portfolio of solutions for dealing with difficult airways and addresses the preventable issue of respiratory compromise.

Steve Blazejewski, president of the patient monitoring and recovery business, minimally invasive therapies group at Medtronic, said: "Aircraft Medical's offerings complement our portfolio, helping us further our commitment to reducing incidents and potential complications from respiratory compromise globally.”

Aircraft Medical’s McGrath video laryngoscope platform, which Medtonic will gain as part of the acquisition, enables clinicians to see a patient's vocal cords and allows them to insert the breathing tube into the trachea.

Medtronic said video laryngoscopy is associated with an increased number of successful intubations, improved laryngeal views and more successful first-attempt intubations than direct laryngoscopy among patients with difficult airways.

For an intubated patient, this helps maximise the chance for first-attempt success and reduces the use of multiple devices.

Blazejewski said: "The company's laryngoscopes will play an important role in our airways portfolio as we develop and provide meaningful innovations that improve patient outcomes."

Matt McGrath, founder and CEO of Aircraft Medical, said: "We are pleased to be joining the Medtronic team as we strive to provide the McGrath video laryngoscope platform to many more patients around the world."