Puritan Bennett Becomes Covidien's Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions

July 13, 2007

Earlier this month, Covidien, formerly Tyco Healthcare, announced that it had separated from Tyco International to become an independent $10 billion health care company. The new company — and new owner of respiratory manufacturer Nellcor Puritan Bennett — also began trading on the New York and Bermuda Stock Exchanges.

Covidien retains Puritan Bennett under a new name — Covidien's Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions Global Business Unit.

"The Covidien launch is about much more than a name change," says Brent Boucher, vice president of global marketing for Covidien's Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions. "It's a business decision that will create opportunities for growth as an independent, global health care company."

Though the name is changing, the focus of the 50-year-old company is not. "Our focus on quality will remain of the utmost importance — our products affect patients' lives so quality is critical in everything we do," says Boucher.

Providers can expect business as usual with Covidien. Product packaging and labeling is not expected to change for another six to 12 months. In the long term, Covidien plans to dedicate resources to developing new innovations, products and services to address unmet clinical needs.

"In the future, customers that have recognized our products at tradeshows and on the shelf as Nellcor Puritan Bennett will begin looking to Covidien as the source," says Boucher.

Of Covidien's five business segments, the medical device portion comprises 59 percent of sales and generated $5.7 billion in 2006.

Visit www.covidien.com.