Sorin Group
An Italian medical-device group specializing in cardiac surgery, cardiovascular implants, extracorporeal circulation, and related therapies.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Sorin Group was an Italian medical-device group whose principal activities centered on cardiac surgery and cardiovascular medicine. Its portfolio covered replacement heart valves, oxygenators, heart-lung machines, perfusion tubing, cardiothoracic-surgery accessories, blood-management systems, autotransfusion equipment, cannulae, monitoring technologies, and cardiac-rhythm-management products. Through acquisitions and internal development, the group built a broad position spanning operating-room equipment, extracorporeal blood circulation, surgical implants, and selected interventional and implantable therapies. The company’s name originated as an acronym for Società Ricerche Impianti Nucleari, or Company for Nuclear Plant Research. Sorin was established in 1956 by Fiat and Montedison as a research organization intended to support Italy’s developing nuclear-energy industry. Its early work was not medical: the company operated an experimental reactor and developed capabilities in electronics, chemistry, materials science, and experimental physics. When the nationalization of Italy’s electric utilities undermined the original nuclear-energy strategy, the organization redirected its technical base toward medical technologies. It became Sorin Biomedica and developed into a profitable biomedical enterprise within a few years. The business expanded through a series of corporate transactions. Sorin Biomedica became publicly traded on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1985 and was transferred into Snia’s ownership in 1986. The 1992 purchase of Shiley’s cardiovascular-devices division from a Pfizer-related group brought Dideco, a major European supplier of extracorporeal circulation and autologous-blood-transfusion products, and Stöckert, a leading heart-lung-machine business, into the group. These assets gave Sorin a stronger international distribution platform and a more prominent position in Europe and Japan, although its presence in the United States initially remained comparatively limited. Sorin subsequently broadened its product base. It developed a coronary-angioplasty program during the 1990s and began marketing the Sorin CarboStent in 1999. It also exited immunodiagnostics in 1997 in order to concentrate resources on cardiovascular medical devices. Snia’s 1999 acquisition of Cobe Cardiovascular, a major Denver-based competitor, further enlarged the group’s cardiac-surgery operations and made it a leading global participant in the cardiovascular market. In 2001, the acquisition of ELA Medical strengthened cardiac-rhythm management through pacemaker and implantable-defibrillator products. Purchases of Soludia in 2002 and CarboMedics and Mitroflow in 2003 expanded the portfolio into dialysis solutions and mechanical and tissue heart valves. After Sorin Biomedica was absorbed by Snia in 2000, the Sorin Group was separated again through Snia’s restructuring. Sorin S.p.A. became independently listed in 2004. The group continued to operate internationally, with important activities in Italy, France, the United States, and Japan. On February 26, 2015, Sorin Group announced an agreement to combine with Cyberonics, a U.S. medical-device company. The transaction created the UK-based company LivaNova, and Sorin Group ceased to exist as an independent corporate group under its former identity.
History
Sorin began in 1956 as Società Ricerche Impianti Nucleari, an acronym meaning Company for Nuclear Plant Research. Fiat and Montedison, then two of Italy’s largest industrial groups, created the organization to address the technical requirements of nuclear-energy production. Sorin was conceived as a research center and operated an experimental reactor for materials research. Its purpose was to supply the scientific and engineering expertise needed for planned nuclear projects rather than to manufacture medical products. During its first decade, Sorin accumulated knowledge in fields including electronics, chemistry, materials technology, and experimental physics. The breadth of this expertise became strategically important when the Italian electricity sector was nationalized and the country’s nuclear-power plans were disrupted. The company redirected its capabilities toward medical technology and adopted the name Sorin Biomedica. The change transformed the organization from a research enterprise into an industrial biomedical company. According to the group’s historical account, it became self-supporting and profitable within approximately three years, making it an unusual example of a nuclear-research organization converted successfully into a medical-products business. Sorin Biomedica listed its shares on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1985. In 1986, Fiat transferred a 75 percent interest in the company to Snia, which took control. The group’s cardiovascular orientation became more pronounced through acquisitions. In 1992, Sorin Biomedica acquired Shiley’s cardiovascular-devices division from a group headed by Pfizer. The transaction included Dideco, an Italian business known for extracorporeal blood-circulation and autologous-blood-transfusion products, and Stöckert, a major manufacturer and distributor of heart-lung machines. The combined operations established Sorin as a substantial international cardiovascular supplier, particularly in Europe and Japan, while the United States remained a market in which the group sought greater penetration. The company also made portfolio choices designed to focus capital on cardiovascular devices. It sold its immunodiagnostics operations in 1997, judging that the business would require substantial continuing research investment and offered limited synergy with the cardiovascular activities that had become its core. In parallel, Sorin pursued coronary intervention. An internal development project begun in 1996 produced catheters and stents, and the Sorin CarboStent entered the market in 1999. The product benefited from the group’s prior experience in artificial cardiac valves and CarboFilm-related technologies. Expansion accelerated in 1999 when Snia acquired Cobe Cardiovascular, a Denver-based competitor in cardiac surgery. Cobe’s operations, together with the existing Dideco and Sorin activities, increased the group’s scale and helped position it as a leading participant in the worldwide cardiovascular market. Sales and operating organizations were reorganized, and former Shiley activities were transferred to Denver. Sorin Biomedica was merged into Snia in 2000, and its separate listing was withdrawn. The Snia Group then acquired ELA Medical from Sanofi-Synthélabo in May 2001. ELA Medical added pacemakers and implantable defibrillators, patents, FDA-cleared products, French production facilities, and a direct U.S. sales presence, strengthening Sorin’s cardiac-rhythm-management activities. In April 2002, Snia acquired control of Soludia, a French manufacturer of dialysis solutions, adding a renal-care component to the portfolio. In January 2003, the group acquired CarboMedics, a U.S. producer of mechanical heart valves, and Mitroflow, a Canadian tissue-valve manufacturer, from Centerpulse. These transactions strengthened Sorin’s U.S. presence and expanded its position in both mechanical and biological valve markets. Following Snia’s partial proportional demerger, Sorin Group, led by holding company Sorin S.p.A., became independently listed on Borsa Italiana’s Online Stock Market in January 2004. The group maintained significant operations in Italy, France, the United States, and Japan and continued to supply products across cardiac surgery and cardiovascular medicine. On February 26, 2015, Sorin announced its planned merger with Cyberonics. The combination produced LivaNova, a UK-based medical-device company, and marked the end of Sorin Group as a standalone corporate identity.
- 2015
Sorin announces its combination with Cyberonics
[1]The announced merger creates the UK-based company LivaNova and ends Sorin Group’s independent corporate identity.
- 2004
Sorin becomes independently listed again
[1]After Snia’s partial proportional demerger, Sorin S.p.A. becomes independently listed on Borsa Italiana.
- 2003
CarboMedics and Mitroflow are acquired
[1]The acquisitions expand Sorin’s mechanical-heart-valve and tissue-valve businesses and improve its U.S. market position.
- 2002
Soludia is acquired
[1]Snia acquires control of Soludia, a French manufacturer of dialysis solutions.
- 2001
ELA Medical is acquired
[1]The acquisition adds pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, patents, French manufacturing, and a U.S. commercial presence.
- 2000
Sorin Biomedica is absorbed by Snia
[1]Sorin Biomedica is merged into Snia and its separate stock-market listing is withdrawn.
- 1999
CarboStent enters the market
[1]Sorin begins marketing the CarboStent coronary stent.
- 1999
Cobe Cardiovascular is acquired
[1]Snia acquires Cobe Cardiovascular, strengthening Sorin’s scale and position in cardiac surgery and the U.S. market.
- 1997
Immunodiagnostics is divested
[1]The group exits immunodiagnostics to concentrate investment on cardiovascular medical devices.
- 1996
Coronary-intervention development begins
[1]Sorin begins an internal program covering coronary angioplasty catheters and stents.
Products and positioning
A specialized cardiovascular medical-device group combining cardiac-surgery equipment, extracorporeal circulation systems, prosthetic valves, rhythm-management devices, and blood-management technologies.
Cardiopulmonary bypass equipment
Heart-lung machines
Systems used during open-heart surgery to support circulation and oxygenation while the heart and lungs are temporarily bypassed. Sorin’s capabilities in this area were reinforced by the acquisition of Stöckert, described as a leading heart-lung-machine producer and distributor.
Extracorporeal circulation
Oxygenators and perfusion tubing sets
Disposable and related components for extracorporeal blood circulation during cardiothoracic procedures. The portfolio included oxygenators, tubing sets, and associated perfusion products supplied alongside heart-lung-machine systems.
Autotransfusion and blood management · 1992
Dideco blood-management products
Dideco products supported extracorporeal circulation and autologous blood transfusion in cardiac and surgical settings. Dideco became part of Sorin through the 1992 acquisition of Shiley’s cardiovascular-devices operations.
Coronary intervention · 1999
Sorin CarboStent
A coronary stent developed through Sorin’s internal angioplasty program. The project began in 1996, and Sorin started marketing CarboStent in 1999, applying experience from its artificial-valve and CarboFilm technology work to a growing interventional-cardiology segment.
Mechanical heart valves · 2003
CarboMedics mechanical heart valves
Mechanical prosthetic heart valves associated with CarboMedics, a U.S. manufacturer acquired by the Snia Group in 2003. The transaction strengthened Sorin’s position in mechanical valves and increased its penetration of the U.S. cardiovascular market.
Biological heart valves · 2003
Mitroflow tissue valves
Tissue-based prosthetic heart valves supplied through Mitroflow, a Canadian manufacturer acquired alongside CarboMedics in 2003. The addition expanded Sorin’s biological-valve business and complemented its mechanical-valve portfolio.
Cardiac rhythm management · 2001
ELA Medical rhythm-management devices
Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators added through the acquisition of ELA Medical in 2001. ELA also contributed patents, French production facilities, FDA-approved products, and a direct U.S. sales presence.
Renal care · 2002
Dialysis solutions
Solutions manufactured by Soludia, a French company whose control was acquired by the Snia Group in 2002. The transaction broadened Sorin’s medical-products portfolio beyond cardiovascular care into renal-care supplies.
Brand decisions
2015
Combination with CyberonicsM&ABackground
Sorin Group and Cyberonics were both medical-device companies seeking to combine their businesses under a new corporate structure.
Action taken
Sorin announced on February 26, 2015 that it would merge with Cyberonics to form a UK-based company called LivaNova.
Aftermath
Sorin Group ceased operating as an independent corporate group under its former name.
1997
Exit from immunodiagnosticsStrategyBackground
Sorin determined that immunodiagnostics would require substantial research investment to keep pace with technological change and offered limited strategic synergy with its increasingly central cardiovascular-device activities.
Action taken
The group divested its immunodiagnostics operations and concentrated on cardiovascular medical devices.
Aftermath
The decision clarified the group’s specialization around cardiovascular products and technologies.
1996
Development of a coronary-angioplasty lineProduct launchBackground
Coronary intervention was a rapidly developing medical-device field, and Sorin sought to apply its cardiovascular engineering experience beyond valves and cardiac surgery.
Action taken
Sorin began an internal project covering angioplasty catheters and stents.
Aftermath
The program led to the marketing of Sorin CarboStent in 1999.
Recent events
- 2015
Sorin Group announces combination with Cyberonics[1]
M&A · Other
Sorin Group announced on February 26, 2015 that it would merge with Cyberonics. The transaction was structured to create a new UK-based medical-device company named LivaNova, ending Sorin Group’s independent corporate existence.
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