Originally Published MPMN March 2002

INDUSTRY NEWS

In Brief

Smiths Group plc (London) has purchased Bivona Medical Technologies (Gary, IN) from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. (Wayne, NJ). Bivona will boost Smith's medical division, which provides PVC-based medical tubes....Forward Industries Inc. (Pompano Beach, FL) has entered into a three-year agreement to supply cases for FreeStyle glucose self-monitoring systems from TheraSense Inc. (Alameda, CA)....Surmodics Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) and Novocell Inc. (Irvine, CA) have announced a strategic alliance for cell encapsulation technology targeted at diabetes applications. Surmodics provides surface modification solutions and licenses its photo-activated coating process to medical device manufacturers....A research team from Yokohama City University (Yokohama, Japan) and several other academic institutes has developed a medical catheter that prevents bacteria proliferation and can be sterilized for reuse. The catheter is made from silicone rubber that has been processed with acid, then coated on the inside with titanium oxide, a photocatalyst that helps degrade organic molecules, and silver, an antimicrobial metal....Venture Tape Corp. (Rockland, MA) has completed a 30,000-sq-ft addition to its now-134,000-sq-ft headquarters. The addition will be used for adhesive-tape manufacturing and storage of production materials and finished goods.... Fujitsu Components America Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) has announced that it will begin to actively market resistive touch panels in North America. A new 7000-m² factory has doubled the company's touch-panel production capacity and engineering resources....Honeywell International (Morristown, NJ) has granted an exclusive license to Santa Barbara Infrared Inc. (Santa Barbara, CA) to manufacture and incorporate Honeywell's infrared emitter technology into its Mirage IR scene projector line. The Mirage projector presents real-time infrared images for testing applications....Hamilton Precision Metals (Lancaster, PA) has purchased and installed a new Drever stand-annealing furnace, which will increase the company's annealing capacity by 25%....Narragansett Imaging (Slatersville, RI) has announced a strategic partnership with GE Medical Systems (Waukesha, WI) to market and distribute Plumbicon camera tubes....Pittsfield Plastics Engineering Inc. (Pittsfield, MA) has added a Hoppman high-speed labeling machine and a Van Dorn 500-tn press to its production facility. The facility itself has been expanded to 70,000 sq ft with a recent 20,000-sq-ft addition....Tubing and hose manufacturer NewAge Industries (Southampton, PA) has launched a new division, AdvantaPure, which will manufacture products for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and other clean applications. Its manufacturing center has been updated with a Class 100 cleanroom, a low-particulate-level white room storage area, and a room dedicated to hose assemblies.

Katherine Sweeny

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