OEC buys stake in German C-arm firm

OEC Medical Systems of Salt Lake City has purchased a 20% interestin Barwig Medizinische Systeme, a mobile C-arm manufacturer basedin Wendelstein, Germany. As part of the deal, OEC secured a 10-yearcontract for world distribution rights to a compact mobile C-armmade by BMS, which OEC will sell under the name Compact 7600.The system received Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearancelast month. OEC also has an option to increase its ownership positionin BMS to 52%.

The agreement gives OEC an expanded product portfolio and increasesthe company's presence in Scandinavia and the large German market,according to OEC chairman, president and CEO Ruediger Naumann-Etienne.Compact 7600 will complement OEC's Series 9600 mobile C-arm, introducedlast year.

In March, OEC introduced the Uroview 2600 urological table atthe Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) trade show inAtlanta.