ZOLL Medical

ZOLL Medical is a medical technology company whose business is centered on devices, software, and related services for serious cardiopulmonary and respiratory conditions. The company describes its mission as improving patient outcomes and helping save lives. Its products serve clinical care as well as home-based monitoring and treatment, and the company says its offerings are used globally. The company traces its origins to research by cardiologist Paul M. Zoll. In the early 1950s, while Chief of the Cardiac Clinic at Beth Israel Hospital, he demonstrated that external electrical stimulation of the chest could produce an effective heartbeat during cardiac arrest. His work contributed to the development of external defibrillation, cardiac monitoring, and pacing technologies. ZOLL was incorporated in 1980 by co-founders including Zoll, Leigh Stein, and Thomas Claflin. The current portfolio shown on the company’s U.S. website spans several areas of care. It includes the LifeVest wearable cardioverter defibrillator; WatchPAT home sleep testing; bellavista ventilation technology; Zenix monitor/defibrillators; and the rem edē System for central sleep apnea. Availability and regulatory status vary by jurisdiction, as the company notes on its product pages. These offerings address different settings and needs, from cardiac monitoring and emergency response to sleep-related diagnosis and treatment and ventilation. ZOLL also describes community education and support as part of its work. Its Anything Can Happen. Anyone Can Help. campaign promotes public education about automated external defibrillators (AEDs), while Heroes for Life recognizes survivors of sudden cardiac arrest and the people who helped them. The company reports that it operates globally and is part of Asahi Kasei. Its leadership page identifies Eric L. Knudsen as CEO and lists executives for major divisions.

ZOLL Medical’s origins are closely connected to the work of Paul M. Zoll, a physician and researcher in cardiac care. In 1952, while Chief of the Cardiac Clinic at Beth Israel Hospital, Zoll demonstrated that external electrical stimulation of a patient’s chest during cardiac arrest could produce an effective heartbeat. In 1956, he became the first physician to successfully use external defibrillation to regulate heart rhythms in patients. His work also included developing, with technical collaborators, a way to display cardiac electrical activity on an oscilloscopic screen, a development that led to cardiac monitors and other programs used in modern cardiac care units. In 1960, Zoll found that external electrical countershock could terminate supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. The company’s historical account says this procedure became widely used to treat these arrhythmias and was found safer than administering large doses of antiarrhythmic drugs. In 1964, Zoll developed a method for long-term direct electrical heart stimulation through an implanted pacemaker. These research milestones form the scientific background to the later company, although they predate its incorporation. ZOLL Medical Corporation was incorporated in 1980 by co-founders including Paul M. Zoll, Leigh Stein, and Thomas Claflin. The company’s institutional history page identifies William Bright as chairman and Rolf Stutz as CEO who subsequently joined ZOLL. In 1983, the company introduced the ZOLL NTP 1000, a non-invasive temporary pacemaker based on Zoll’s research. The company’s timeline also records the launch of the ZOLL PD 1200 pacemaker/defibrillator/monitor in 1988. The company’s history and present-day portfolio reflect an expansion from cardiac electrical stimulation and defibrillation into a broader set of medical technologies. Its current U.S. website presents products for cardiac management, sleep-related diagnosis and treatment, and ventilation. Named examples include LifeVest, a wearable cardioverter defibrillator; WatchPAT, a home sleep test; bellavista ventilation technology; Zenix monitor/defibrillators; and the rem edē System for central sleep apnea. ZOLL states that its devices, software, and related services are used globally to diagnose and treat serious cardiopulmonary and respiratory conditions. It cautions that product availability and regulatory status differ by jurisdiction. In addition to products and clinical technologies, ZOLL describes community education and support as part of its mission. The company highlights its AED education campaign Anything Can Happen. Anyone Can Help. and its Heroes for Life program recognizing sudden cardiac arrest survivors and the people who helped save them. ZOLL is part of Asahi Kasei. Its management page identifies Eric L. Knudsen as CEO and lists leaders for ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions and ZOLL Itamar.

• 2014

  ZOLL Foundation grantmaking period begins

• 1988

  ZOLL PD 1200 launched

• 1983

  ZOLL NTP 1000 introduced

• 1980

  ZOLL Medical Corporation incorporated

• 1964

  Long-term direct electrical heart stimulation method developed

• 1960

  External countershock shown effective for certain arrhythmias

• 1956

  First successful use of external defibrillation to regulate patient heart rhythms

• 1952

  Paul M. Zoll demonstrates external electrical stimulation during cardiac arrest

A life-saving and life-sustaining medical technology company focused on cardiopulmonary and respiratory care, with offerings for clinical and home-care settings.

• LifeVest

  A wearable cardioverter defibrillator. The company says it has more than 20 years of clinical evidence and has protected more than one million patients.

• WatchPAT

  A home sleep test. The company says it was initially FDA-cleared in 2001 and is prescribed to more than one million patients annually in the United States.

• bellavista 1000e

  Ventilation technology described as supporting patients from neonates to adults.

• Zenix

  A line of monitor/defibrillators designed to support informed and efficient care decisions.

• rem edē System

  A system for treating central sleep apnea without masks or medications.

1. 1ZOLL Medical | ZOLL Medicalzoll.com
2. 2Milestones in History | ZOLL Medicalzoll.com
3. 3Management Team | ZOLL Medicalzoll.com
4. 4Corporate Social Responsibility | ZOLL Medicalzoll.com
5. 5ZOLL Medicalwikidata.org
6. 6Lighthouse Medical Supplies partners with Zollroyalgazette.com
7. 7Sleep diagnostics company Itamar Medical acquired by ZOLL Medical for $538 millioncalcalistech.com