Volcano Corp. Erupts With a Round of Layoffs

The fall season has brought layoffs to Volcano Corporation (San Diego, CA). In its latest round of layoffs, the company will send out pink slips to 39 of its employees by the beginning of September.

In March of this year, the company reported that it had a workforce of 280 employees in Rancho Cordova. However, this figure is down from 570 employees in 2011. In 2010, the company had 675 employees on its payroll.

Volcano Corp manufactures precision-guided therapy tools for treatment and management of vascular diseases. The company's product line includes intravascular guidance technologies and catheters.

Volcano's intravascular ultrasound product line includes specialized ultrasound consoles that can be used in most modern catheter labs. The system utilizes disposable imaging catheters that are unique to the system. The company's ultrasound technology is used by physicians to diagnose the severity of disease in peripheral and cardiac vessels. The technology is also used in some post-stent placement operations to confirm that a stent has properly expanded and achieved full apposition of a patient's vessel wall.

The company also manufactures functional management consoles, flow guide wires and pressure guide wires. These tools are used to determine the impact of arterial plaque on a patient's blood flow and blood pressure.

The company first opened its doors in 2000. The company is working with the state of California to find programs for its employees that are on the way out.