General Info

Thoratec Corporation is engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of medical devices for circulatory support, vascular graft, coagulation and incision applications. The company s ventricular assist device is approved for heart support and can be used as a bridge-to-transplant solution and for recovery from open-heart surgery. It has distributed more than 4,300 ventricular assist devices for the treatment of 2,800-plus patients worldwide. The company s HeartMate device assumes the pumping function of the left ventricle for patients with hearts that are too damaged or diseased to produce adequate blood flow. Its Vectra product is employed in hemodialysis patients. Thoratec s primary subsidiary, International Technidyne Corporation, provides point-of-care testing instruments and disposables. Thoratec's revenues increased 17 percent to $201.7 million in 2005. Thoratec Corporation is headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif.