History

For more than 40 years, MEDRAD, an affiliate of Bayer AG, has been committed to improving patient outcomes by developing innovative, cost-efficient products. MEDRAD was founded in 1964, when M. Stephen Heilman, M.D. created the first flow-controlled, angiographic power injector in the kitchen of his home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An emergency room physician by day, “Doc” saw tremendous potential in angiography, a revolutionary X-ray technology that made it possible to visualize blood vessels inside the body. Power injecting a contrast agent into the vessels, he reasoned, would enhance the image and make it possible to diagnose the heart disease and stroke patients who regularly came through the emergency room.

Doc's invention was the first in a long list of MEDRAD innovations. MEDRAD later introduced injector technology for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and has become the leading provider of ancillary devices for the MR suite.

In 2008, MEDRAD acquired Possis Medical, Inc., a leading provider of mechanical thrombectomy devices used to treat narrowed or blocked arteries and veins. The combination of MEDRAD and Possis Medical joined two leaders in their respective fields, and underscores MEDRAD’s commitment to the treatment of patients in the growing cardiovascular intervention field.

A Legacy of Product Innovation

MEDRAD has long been a leader in developing innovative devices that improve patient care. Recent examples include:

• Extravasation detector technology that, when properly employed, directly senses extravasation pooling of contrast agent under the skin during a CT scanning procedure. (Medical Design Excellence Award® Winner 2008)

• Personalized Patient Protocol Technology (P3T) that, when used properly, makes it possible to further customize a CT injection based on patient-specific parameters.

• A Magnetic Resonance (MR) endorectal coil that conforms to the size and shape of the prostate to provide clearer pictures needed to diagnose and stage cancer and plan targeted treatment.

• The Intego™ PET Infusion System that automates the administration of Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) procedures, and protects the technologist from radiation exposure.

• The Continuum Wireless MR Infusion System, which controls a patient’s medication infusion from inside and outside the scan room, enabling a clinician to control parameters without interrupting the MR scan.

• An Informatics System that integrates data from the power injector with patient image studies, enabling integration with radiology information systems.