Briefs: Chart buys SeQual for $40 million

SAN DIEGO - Chart Industries agreed in December to acquire SeQual Technologies, a manufacturer of oxygen concentrators, including the Eclipse, a portable oxygen concentrator. Terms of the deal include a $40 million up-front payment and up to $20 million more, depending on SeQual's financial performance during the two years following the deal's closing. SeQual's annual sales are approximately $36 million, according to a Chart release. Chart's subsidiary Caire offers a line of home respiratory equipment, including the Helios, a portable liquid oxygen system.

Ankota teams up with CareCentric

BALTIMORE and ATLANTA - To help HME providers be more efficient, software vendor CareCentric has teamed up with Ankota, a technology company that specializes in products that help providers better coordinate post-acute care services. Key features of the integrated tool include route planning, real-time delivery reporting and GPS tracking, configurable care plans and an easy-to-use Internet interface. In a December release announcing the deal, the companies promise major savings for HME providers: 25% to 35% fewer miles driven, 10% to 20% increase in delivery capacity and $800 to $1,200 in savings per vehicle per month.

Brightree hits the road with Airclic

ATLANTA - Brightree has added a mobile software solution to its business management software solution. The company announced in November that it has partnered with Trevose, Pa.-based Airclic, whose Care Perform software allows drivers to document critical, point-of-delivery tasks in real time. The partnership has resulted in 20 new clients this year, according to a release.

Sunrise says adios to two wheelchairs

FRESNO, Calif. - Sunrise Medical is changing its tune. For years, the company sung the praises of titanium when it came to building lightweight rigid frame wheelchairs. But not any more. These days, Sunrise is all about 7000 series aluminum, which is lighter, less expensive, equally durable and as adept at absorbing vibrations at titanium, the company reported recently. Given that and the success of the ultra-lightweight Quickie Q7, Sunrise will discontinue the Quickie Ti Titanium and Quickie GTi effective Dec. 31, 2010, the company announced Dec. 7.