Siemens Healthineers AG (formerly Siemens Healthcare, Siemens Medical Solutions, Siemens Medical Systems) is a German medical device company. It is the parent company for several medical technology companies and is headquartered in
Erlangen, Germany
Erlangen (; East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 116,062 inhabi ...
. The company dates its early beginnings in 1847 to a small family business in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, co-founded by
Werner von Siemens
Ernst Werner Siemens (von Siemens from 1888; ; ; 13 December 1816 – 6 December 1892) was a German electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist. Siemens's name has been adopted as the SI unit of electrical conductance, the siemens. He foun ...
. Siemens Healthineers is connected to the larger corporation,
Siemens AG
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
. The name Siemens Medical Solutions was adopted in 2001, and the change to Siemens Healthcare was made in 2008. In 2015, Siemens named Bernd Montag as its new global CEO. In May 2016, the business operations of Siemens Healthcare GmbH were rebranded "Siemens Healthineers."
Globally, the companies owned by Siemens Healthineers have 65,000 employees.
History
19th century
The history of Siemens Healthineers started in Berlin in the mid-19th century as a part of what is now known as
Siemens AG
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
.
Siemens & Halske
Siemens & Halske AG (or Siemens-Halske) was a German electrical engineering company that later became part of Siemens.
It was founded on 12 October 1847 as ''Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske'' by Werner von Siemens and Johann Geo ...
was founded by
Werner von Siemens
Ernst Werner Siemens (von Siemens from 1888; ; ; 13 December 1816 – 6 December 1892) was a German electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist. Siemens's name has been adopted as the SI unit of electrical conductance, the siemens. He foun ...
and
Johann Georg Halske on 12 October 1847. The company formed around an invention created by Siemens called the pointer telegraph. Based on the
telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
, Werner von Siemens' new invention used a needle to point to the sequence of letters, instead of using
Morse code
Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one of ...
. The company, then called Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske, opened its first workshop on 12 October. Eventually, the new company included electrometrical equipment and specialized in medical technology.
[History"](_blank)
Siemens Healthcare Website, Retrieved on 4 February 2016.
Three years previously, in 1844, Werner von Siemens put one of his inventions to use for medical purposes for the first time, using electricity to treat his brother Friedrich for tooth pain. After teaming up with Halske, the new company's products included electromedical equipment. In Erlangen, Erwin Moritz Reiniger laid the cornerstone for Reiniger, Gebbert & Schall, a company specializing in medical technology.
In 1896, only one year after
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
Wilhelm may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm"
* Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
Other uses
* Mount ...
discovered the
X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
, Siemens produced the first industrially manufactured X-ray tubes for medical diagnostics.
["Healthcare"](_blank)
Siemens Corporate Website, Retrieved on 2 February 2016.
20th century
In
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat.
Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, X-ray pioneer
Friedrich Dessauer
Friedrich Dessauer (19 July 1881 – 16 February 1963) was a physicist, a philosopher, a socially engaged entrepreneur and a journalist.
Friedrich Dessauer was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany. As a young man he was fascinated by new discover ...
founded his own company, which later came to prominence under the name Veifa-Werke. The companies maintained close ties with each other, finally merging in 1932 to form Siemens-Reiniger-Werke (SRW). The company soon came to be viewed as the world's largest specialized electromedical company.
Later, in 1933, Siemens introduced rotating anode tubes for X-rays that could withstand much greater electrical loads, laying the foundation for the development of modern X-ray tubes.
Supported by Siemens in
Erlangen
Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...
, Inge Edler, a Swedish physician, and physicist Carl Hellmuth Hertz were intrigued by the idea of using
ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...
technology to achieve more precise heart diagnoses. In 1953, they became the first to use the ultrasound technique for
echocardiography
An echocardiography, echocardiogram, cardiac echo or simply an echo, is an ultrasound of the heart.
It is a type of medical imaging of the heart, using standard ultrasound or Doppler ultrasound.
Echocardiography has become routinely used in t ...
. Today, this powerful ultrasound process is a standard component of all cardiovascular examinations.
In 1958, Elema-Schönander AB (subsequently Siemens-Elema AB) developed the first
cardiac pacemaker
350px, Image showing the cardiac pacemaker or SA node, the primary pacemaker within the electrical_conduction_system_of_the_heart">SA_node,_the_primary_pacemaker_within_the_electrical_conduction_system_of_the_heart.
The_muscle_contraction.htm ...
implanted in a critically ill heart patient by surgeon
Åke Senning
Åke Senning (* 14 December 1915 in Rättvik, Sweden; † 21 July 2000 in Zurich, Switzerland) was a Swedish cardiac surgeon who worked at Zurich University Hospital from 1961 until his retirement in 1985.
Biography
Åke Senning was born ...
.
Siemens engineer Ralph Soldner developed the world's first "real-time"
ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...
unit, the Vidoson, in the 1960s. With this technology, technicians could view movements inside the body on a screen right while they were taking place, a feature that became especially important in obstetrics and pediatrics.
The company released its first computed tomography scanner, the Siretom, in 1975, a year after it exhibited its first tomographic image of a human head at the annual meeting of the
Radiological Society of North America
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is a non-profit organization and an international society of radiologists, medical physicists and other medical imaging professionals representing 31 radiologic subspecialties from 145 countries a ...
in Chicago.
A typical examination took less than six minutes. The skull is scanned from various directions by an X-ray tube and a detector unit, and an image of absorption distribution in the brain is generated in the computer.
The first
magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio wave ...
(MRI) scanner, Siemens' MAGNETOM system, came to the market in 1983. With the aid of powerful magnetic fields, MRI scanners produce high-quality cross-sectional images without exposing patients to ionizing radiation.
In 1998, Siemens introduced the first track-based laboratory automation system, the ADVIA LabCell Automation Solution, allowing for increased efficiency and reduced costs.
Siemens imaging devices use the syngo image processing software developed by the company in 1999. The software provides a single user interface for a large number of imaging systems, integrating patient-specific physiological and imaging data into clinical workflows.
21st century
Siemens was the first to combine
positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that uses radioactive substances known as radiotracers to visualize and measure changes in Metabolism, metabolic processes, and in other physiological activities including bl ...
(PET) with
computed tomography (CT). By creating this hybrid imaging system, Siemens combined the PET scanner's ability to visualize biological processes of life with a CT system's anatomical image of tissues and organs. In doing so, the combination system allows a simultaneous display of anatomy and biological function. ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine named the Siemens Biograph, the world's first commercial PET-CT scanner, the "Innovation of the Year" in 2000.
In a similar fashion, Siemens launched the Biograph mMR in 2010, the first scanner to completely combine MRI and PET technologies. Like PET-CT, PET-MR hybrid systems combine multiple technologies to provide a better image of the body, enabling for better diagnoses, research and treatment plans for patients. It combines precise images of the body tissues from MRI with metabolic cell activity from PET.
In 2011, Siemens discontinued its
linear accelerator
A linear particle accelerator (often shortened to linac) is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles or ions to a high speed by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear beam ...
s for the treatment of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
, citing cost pressures and a decision to focus on
diagnostic imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...
in cancer.
In May 2016, Siemens AG rebranded the healthcare division from Siemens Healthcare to Siemens Healthineers. The change reflected part of the Siemens AG Vision 2020 strategy announced nearly two years previously that its healthcare business would be separately managed as a company within the company with a new organizational setup. CEO Bernd Montag introduced the name along with a five-minute dance routine celebration outside the Healthineers headquarters in Erlangen. The routine was met with ridicule; the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' called it a "Writhing spandex clad horror." Multiple outlets called the new logo similar to that of
Fitbit
Fitbit (stylized as fitbit) is an American consumer electronics and fitness company. It produces wireless-enabled wearable technology, physical fitness monitors and activity trackers such as smartwatches, pedometers and monitors for heart rate, ...
and called the rebranding a failure at large. The name also led some people to believe that it was an article from ''
The Onion
''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 2 ...
''. Montag later admitted that the dance routine was a mistake.
In November 2017 the company announced its intention to become publicly-listed on the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (german: link=no, Börse Frankfurt, former German name – FWB) is the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. It has operations from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ( German time).
Organisation
Locat ...
in March 2018. A minority stake of up to 25% was expected to be sold at part of the IPO, which would be Germany's largest listing since the IPO of
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG (; short form often just Telekom, DTAG or DT; stylised as ·T·) is a German telecommunications company that is headquartered in Bonn and is the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. Deutsche Telekom was ...
in 1996. The first day of trading was 16 March 2018, with a 15% stake sold at an initial share price of €28.00.
Charitable activities
Siemens Healthineers has supported charitable giving around the world. The company has supported such programs such as the American Society for Clinical Pathology's (ASCP) laboratory student scholarships, the PATH Ingenuity Fellows mentorship program, and others.
The company has also contributed to disaster relief efforts. In response to hurricane Katrina in 2005, Siemens Healthineers donated heart monitors and imaging equipment to Houston-area hospitals while parent company, Siemens AG, matched 100% of U.S. employee donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Siemens Healthineers donated medical equipment to aid healthcare workers in their efforts to help victims. The company responded similarly in 2015 when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. Siemens Healthineers provided the relief efforts with a magnetic resonance imaging machine in addition to the funds donated by Siemens AG.
Mergers and acquisitions
In 2005, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. acquired CTI Molecular Imaging for $1 billion (€750 million, $20.50 per share) incorporating it into its Advanced Imaging business.
In 2006, the business announced it would acquire Diagnostics Products Corporation for around $1.9 billion (€1.5 billion). Established in 1971, Diagnostics Products Corporation produced
immunodiagnostics and supplies for fertility diagnosis and in-vitro allergy testing, with the business being incorporated into the Laboratory Diagnostics division post-deal. In the same year the company announced it would acquire
Bayer
Bayer AG (, commonly pronounced ; ) is a German multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Bayer's areas of busi ...
's Diagnostics division, for €4.2 billion, boosting the business's offerings in a range of services for
in-vitro diagnosis.
In November 2007, Siemens announced it would further expand its
laboratory
A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...
diagnostics range, via the acquisition of
Dade Behring Dade Behring was a company which manufactured testing machinery and supplies for the medical diagnostics industry, based in Deerfield, Illinois and Glasgow, Delaware (formerly a DuPont site).
History
Behring Diagnostics, a Frankfurt-based compa ...
, producer of clinical laboratory equipment and products for routine chemistry testing, immunodiagnostics (including infectious disease testing),
hemostasis
In biology, hemostasis or haemostasis is a process to prevent and stop bleeding, meaning to keep blood within a damaged blood vessel (the opposite of hemostasis is hemorrhage). It is the first stage of wound healing. This involves coagulation, whi ...
testing, and
microbiology
Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...
.
In November 2011 the business acquired
MobileMD, later divesting the business in 2014 to
Cerner
Cerner Corporation is an American supplier of health information technology (HIT) services, devices, and hardware. As of February 2018, its products were in use at more than 27,000 facilities around the world. The company had more than 29,000 emp ...
for $1.3 billion (€970 million).
In September 2012 the company announced it would acquire Penrith Corporation, manufacturer of ultrasound imaging systems.
In November 2016, Siemens Healthineers (via Siemens Healthcare GmbH) acquired Conworx Technology GmbH, a Berlin-based developer of
point-of-care
Clinical point of care (POC) is the point in time when clinicians deliver healthcare products and services to patients at the time of care.
Clinical documentation
Clinical documentation is a record of the critical thinking and judgment of a health ...
device interfaces and data management solutions.
In May 2016, Siemens Healthineers expanded its
molecular diagnostics
Molecular diagnostics is a collection of techniques used to analyze biological markers in the genome and proteome, and how their cells express their genes as proteins, applying molecular biology to medical testing. In medicine the technique is ...
portfolio with the acquisition of NEO New Oncology AG.
In April 2017, Siemens Healthineers expanded into
radiological information system A radiological information system (RIS)
is the core system for the electronic management of imaging departments. The major functions of the RIS can include patient scheduling, resource management, examination performance tracking, reporting, result ...
s with the acquisition of Medicalis Corporation.
In 2019, the business announced the acquisition of vascular robotics start-up,
Corindus, for $1.1 billion (€980 million).
In August 2020, the business announced it would acquire
Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems is an American radiation oncology treatments and software maker based in Palo Alto, California. Their medical devices include linear accelerators (LINACs) and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions wi ...
, for $16.4 billion (€13.9 billion), representing a return to
radiation therapy
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...
after the discontinuation of Siemens' own
linear accelerator
A linear particle accelerator (often shortened to linac) is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles or ions to a high speed by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear beam ...
s in 2011.
After the merger Varian will continue to operate as an independent company and will retain its headquarters along with its 10,000 employees.
See also
*
List of assets owned by Siemens
References
{{authority control
Medical technology companies of Germany
2018 initial public offerings
Siemens
Erlangen
Companies based in Munich
Medical and health organisations based in Bavaria
Companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Companies in the TecDAX
Companies in the MDAX