Briefs

Apria extends Respironics respiratory contract MURRYSVILLE, Pa. - Respironics has extended its purchasing relationship with Apria through the end of this year. Under the terms of the agreement, Respironics will continue as a co-primary supplier to Apria for CPAP and as the primary supplier for bi-level and Auto CPAP, as a single source supplier for infant apnea and sleep diagnostics and as a shared primary supplier for volume ventilators. Respironics will also continue to serve as a source of oxygen concentrators for Apria. Abbott Labs splurges for Therasense NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. - Abbott Laboratories and Alameda, Calif.-based Therasense made headlines across the country when the giant pharmaceutical company bought the innovative diabetes testing manufacturer for $1.2 billion last month. Therasense makes the Freestyle blood glucose monitoring system that uses a minute blood sample drawn from the forearm rather than from the fingertip. VMI buys Ricon's lifts PHOENIX - Vantage Mobility International, a manufacturer of vehicle accessibility products, has purchased the personal division of Ricon Corp. The acquisition includes Ricon's platform lift and adaptive accessories product lines sold through retail dealers. As part of the agreement, Ricon will continue to make the lifts and accessories under a long-term contract with VMI. Invacare distributor opens West Coast facility CUCAMONGA, Calif. - Nashville-based Ozburn-Hessey Logistics has opened a 100,000-square-foot distribution services facility in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., that provides dedicated warehousing and transportation services for Invacare. Ozburn had been handling Invacare's west coast distribution from Sparks, Nev., about 500 miles away. The company also warehouses for Invacare at locations in Dallas and Plainfield, Ind. Outtakes Respironics now offers its proprietary C-Flex technology on the REMstar Plus System. Previously, the company had only made C-Flex available on its upscale REMStar Pro unit… Invacare has fully automated its document processing, using a system manufactured by an Israeli company, SmarTeam. The system lets Invacare employees access product design data from any of its facilities in a standard data format, generate design drawings automatically, share design data with colleagues, vendors, and suppliers, and create a collaborative environment linking its remote sites.