Thoratec
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA United States medical-device company known for ventricular assist devices and other mechanical circulatory-support systems.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Thoratec was a United States medical-device company focused on mechanical circulatory support for patients with advanced or acute heart failure. Its principal technologies included ventricular assist devices (VADs), external blood pumps, portable drivers, and related systems used to support the heart while a patient awaited transplantation, recovered from cardiac surgery, or received long-term treatment when transplantation was not possible. The company was incorporated in California in 1976 as Thoratec Laboratories Corporation. Its early activities included vascular grafts and other cardiovascular products, but its strategic identity increasingly centered on artificial heart-pump technology. The company received United States Food and Drug Administration approval in 1995 for its Thoratec Ventricular Assist Device System, an external pump connected to the heart and major blood vessels by cannulae. The system could provide left-, right-, or biventricular support and was used in hospital-based circulatory assistance. Thoratec became substantially larger and more influential in 2001 when it acquired Thermo Cardiosystems, the developer of the HeartMate ventricular-assist platform. The transaction brought the HeartMate franchise into Thoratec and expanded the company from external and pulsatile support systems into implantable left ventricular assist devices. Clinical evidence from the REMATCH study helped establish the medical value of HeartMate technology for patients with end-stage heart failure who were not transplant candidates. HeartMate VE and the later HeartMate XVE became important products for bridge-to-transplantation and destination therapy. Thoratec subsequently developed HeartMate II, a smaller continuous-flow LVAD intended to provide longer-lasting and more portable support than earlier pulsatile systems. The device received European authorization in 2005, United States approval for bridge-to-transplantation in 2008, and United States approval for destination therapy in 2010. Thoratec also expanded into short-term and pediatric support through its acquisitions of Levitronix's medical business, including CentriMag and PediMag, and pursued catheter-based and transapical technologies through additional acquisitions. The company developed the third-generation HeartMate 3 LVAD and began clinical work on it in 2014. It also advanced the Thoratec PHP percutaneous heart pump for acute support and acquired Apica Cardiovascular to obtain transapical access technologies. Thoratec's products served a specialized market spanning chronic heart failure, cardiogenic shock, post-cardiotomy recovery, right-heart failure, and pediatric circulatory support. St. Jude Medical announced its acquisition of Thoratec in 2015, completing the transaction in October of that year. St. Jude Medical was subsequently acquired by Abbott Laboratories in January 2017. Thoratec therefore ceased to operate as an independent public company, while its technologies and product franchises became part of St. Jude Medical's cardiovascular portfolio and, later, Abbott's medical-device business.
History
Thoratec was incorporated in California in 1976 as Thoratec Laboratories Corporation. It initially worked on cardiovascular products including vascular grafts, artificial coronary conduits, and systems intended to support circulation during cardiac treatment. Its later focus became ventricular assist devices, which mechanically help the heart circulate blood in patients with severe heart failure, during recovery from cardiac surgery, or while they wait for transplantation. In December 1995, the company received United States Food and Drug Administration approval to market its Thoratec Ventricular Assist Device System. This was an external blood pump connected to the patient's heart and vessels through cannulae. Unlike systems limited to one side of the heart, the Thoratec system could support the left ventricle, right ventricle, or both. The company also developed Thoralon, a proprietary biocompatible material intended to reduce clotting and inflammatory responses and later used in the PVAD platform. Thoratec went public in 1981 under the ticker THOR. A major strategic turning point came in 2001, when it acquired Thermo Cardiosystems, a substantially larger competitor and the developer of the HeartMate VAD. Thoratec shortened its corporate name and gained the HeartMate franchise, including an implanted LVAD for advanced heart-failure patients. Results from the REMATCH trial, published in 2001, showed that HeartMate VE could improve survival compared with medication alone in patients with end-stage heart failure who were not suitable for transplantation. The FDA later approved HeartMate VE for both bridge-to-transplantation and destination therapy, followed by the enhanced HeartMate XVE. The company continued to expand home-based and long-term support. In 2003, the FDA approved the TLC-II portable driver for home discharge, allowing selected patients using Thoratec's external systems to leave the hospital while awaiting transplantation or cardiac recovery. Thoratec then introduced HeartMate II, a smaller continuous-flow LVAD intended to be more durable, quieter, and portable than the earlier pulsatile systems. It received European authorization in 2005, United States bridge-to-transplantation approval in 2008, and United States destination-therapy approval in 2010. Thoratec discontinued HeartMate XVE in 2011 as continuous-flow technology became central to its portfolio. Thoratec diversified into acute and pediatric support. It acquired catheter-based pump technology from Getinge in 2010, acquired the medical business of Levitronix in 2011 with the CentriMag and PediMag systems, and acquired the DuraHeart II ventricular-assist system from Terumo in 2013. It also acquired Apica Cardiovascular in 2014 to obtain transapical surgical-access technologies. The company developed the HeartMate 3, a third-generation LVAD intended to improve blood compatibility and simplify implantation, and advanced the Thoratec PHP percutaneous pump for acute circulatory support. The company faced clinical and device-safety scrutiny during the HeartMate II era. Studies published in 2013 described an increase in pump thrombosis at several institutions, while subsequent analyses reported a later reduction in incidence. In 2014 Thoratec warned users against improper operation of the HeartMate II external controller. St. Jude Medical announced the acquisition of Thoratec in July 2015 and completed it in October. St. Jude Medical was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in January 2017. Thoratec therefore became part of Abbott's cardiovascular-device operations rather than continuing as an independent listed corporation.
- 2017
St. Jude Medical acquired by Abbott
[1]Abbott acquired St. Jude Medical, placing Thoratec's technologies within Abbott's portfolio.
- 2015
St. Jude Medical acquisition completed
[1]Thoratec became part of St. Jude Medical in October 2015.
- 2014
HeartMate 3 clinical trials begin
[1]The company began clinical evaluation of its third-generation LVAD.
- 2011
CentriMag and PediMag added through Levitronix acquisition
[1]Thoratec entered a broader acute and pediatric circulatory-support market.
- 2010
HeartMate II receives destination-therapy approval
[1]The FDA expanded approval to permanent support for eligible patients who could not receive a transplant.
- 2008
HeartMate II receives United States bridge-to-transplantation approval
[1]The FDA approved HeartMate II for bridge-to-transplantation use.
- 2003
TLC-II driver approved for home discharge
[1]The portable driver became the first biventricular-support driver approved for patients to leave the hospital with the system.
- 2001
Thermo Cardiosystems acquired
[1]The acquisition brought the HeartMate platform into Thoratec and broadened its mechanical-circulatory-support business.
- 1995
Thoratec Ventricular Assist Device System approved
[1]The FDA approved the company's external ventricular-assist system for commercial sale.
- 1981
Initial public offering
[1]Thoratec completed its initial public offering and traded under the ticker THOR.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Products and positioning
A specialist medical-device company focused on mechanical circulatory support, particularly implantable and external ventricular assist systems for advanced heart failure and acute cardiac care.
Implantable left ventricular assist device · 2014
HeartMate 3
The HeartMate 3 is Thoratec's third-generation implantable LVAD platform. It was designed for mechanical support of the left ventricle in patients with advanced heart failure and incorporated design changes intended to improve blood compatibility and reduce adverse events. Clinical development began in the United States and internationally in 2014. The system belongs to the HeartMate product family that Thoratec obtained through its Thermo Cardiosystems acquisition.
Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device · 2005
HeartMate II
HeartMate II is an implantable continuous-flow LVAD that assists the native left ventricle in pumping blood to the aorta. It was substantially smaller than the HeartMate XVE and designed for longer service life, quieter operation, and portable support. European authorization came in 2005, followed by United States approval for bridge-to-transplantation in 2008 and destination therapy in 2010. It became one of Thoratec's principal chronic mechanical-support products.
Pulsatile-flow left ventricular assist device · 2003
HeartMate XVE
HeartMate XVE was an enhanced version of the first-generation HeartMate ventricular-assist system. It provided implanted pulsatile support for patients awaiting transplantation and for selected patients receiving destination therapy. It received United States destination-therapy approval in 2003, European CE Mark approval the same year, and Canadian approval in 2004. Thoratec discontinued the product in 2011 as continuous-flow HeartMate II became the central LVAD platform.
Paracorporeal ventricular assist device
Thoratec PVAD
The PVAD is an external, pulsatile ventricular-assist device capable of supporting the left ventricle, right ventricle, or both. It was used for bridge-to-transplantation, post-cardiotomy recovery, and other hospital-based circulatory-support situations. The platform used Thoratec's Thoralon biomaterial and could be paired with a portable driver, enabling selected patients to be discharged from the hospital while awaiting transplantation or recovery.
Extracorporeal acute circulatory-support system · 2011
CentriMag
CentriMag is an extracorporeal centrifugal blood-pump system used for short-term mechanical circulatory support. It was added to Thoratec's portfolio through the 2011 acquisition of Levitronix's medical business. The system was intended to stabilize circulation in patients requiring cardiopulmonary support and could be used in settings including cardiogenic shock and acute right-ventricular failure while clinicians assessed longer-term treatment options.
Pediatric extracorporeal blood pump · 2011
PediMag
PediMag is an extracorporeal circulatory-support pump for pediatric patients requiring short-term cardiopulmonary assistance. Outside the United States it was known as PediVAS. The product entered Thoratec's portfolio through the Levitronix medical-business acquisition and was intended to provide hemodynamic stabilization during acute cardiac or surgical-care episodes.
Percutaneous acute heart pump · 2015
Thoratec PHP
The Thoratec PHP was a catheter-based external pump developed for acute left-ventricular mechanical support. It was designed for minimally invasive delivery through a cardiac catheterization laboratory or operating room and was evaluated for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention and other acute-support applications. CE Mark approval was obtained in 2015, and Thoratec initiated a clinical study later that year.
Brand decisions
2015
Accept acquisition by St. Jude MedicalM&ABackground
Thoratec operated in a specialized medical-device market in which scale, product breadth, and global distribution were strategically important.
Action taken
Thoratec agreed to be acquired by St. Jude Medical; the transaction was completed in October 2015.
Aftermath
Thoratec ceased to operate as an independent public company and its technologies became part of St. Jude Medical's cardiovascular business, later acquired by Abbott.
2011
Discontinue HeartMate XVE as HeartMate II scalesGeneration changeBackground
Continuous-flow LVAD technology offered a smaller form factor and longer intended operating life than the earlier pulsatile platform.
Action taken
Thoratec discontinued HeartMate XVE after HeartMate II gained broader regulatory approvals.
Aftermath
HeartMate II became the company's principal chronic LVAD platform.
2001
Acquire Thermo Cardiosystems and enter the HeartMate franchiseM&ABackground
Thoratec sought to broaden its circulatory-support portfolio and gain access to an established implantable LVAD platform.
Action taken
The company acquired Thermo Cardiosystems and subsequently shortened its corporate name from Thoratec Laboratories Corporation to Thoratec Corporation.
Aftermath
The transaction made HeartMate a core product family and strengthened Thoratec's position in artificial-heart and ventricular-assist technology.
Recent events
- 2015
St. Jude Medical completes acquisition of Thoratec[1]
M&A
Thoratec was acquired by St. Jude Medical and ceased operating as an independent public company.
- 2014
Thoratec warns against improper HeartMate II external-controller use[1]
Other · Regulation
The company issued a warning concerning incorrect use of the external controller associated with HeartMate II systems.
- 2014
Thoratec begins HeartMate 3 clinical development[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The company began United States and international clinical trials of its third-generation LVAD, designed to improve hemocompatibility and implantation characteristics.
- 2013
HeartMate II thrombosis reports prompt safety attention[1]
Other · Regulation
Medical studies reported an increase in observed HeartMate II pump thrombosis at several institutions, followed by later analyses indicating that incidence declined toward earlier post-market levels.
- 2011
Thoratec acquires Levitronix medical business[1]
M&A
The transaction brought CentriMag and PediMag acute circulatory-support systems into Thoratec's portfolio.
- 2010
HeartMate II receives destination-therapy approval[1]
Regulation · Product generation
United States approval expanded HeartMate II use to permanent support for certain patients who were not eligible for transplantation.
- 2008
HeartMate II receives United States bridge-to-transplantation approval[1]
Product launch · Regulation
The continuous-flow LVAD was cleared for bridge-to-transplantation use in the United States.
- 2001
Thoratec acquires Thermo Cardiosystems[1]
M&A
The acquisition added the HeartMate ventricular-assist franchise and significantly expanded Thoratec's position in mechanical circulatory support.
Sources1 sources
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