Steven Brandt

Thoratec Corp. develops, manufactures and markets proprietary medical devices used for circulatory support for the treatment of heart failure patients. The company's products include Ventricular Assist Devices, HeartMate Left Ventricular Assist System, HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System, Thoratec Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device and Thoratec Implantable Ventricular Assist. It also manufactures and markets the CentriMag Acute Circulatory System, HeartMate II, PVAD, IVAD and for pediatric patients PediMag/PediVAS Acute Circulatory System. Its ventricular assist devices products primarily serve patients suffering from late-stage heart failure. Heart Failure is a chronic disease that occurs when degeneration of the heart muscle reduces the pumping power of the heart, causing the heart to become too weak to pump blood at a level sufficient to meet the body's demands. The company operates its business through the Cardiovascular group segment, which develops, manufactures mechanical circulatory products to support the cardiovascular systems of humans and to provide product-related services. Thoratec was founded in March 1976 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, CA.

CHF Solutions, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer of innovative medical devices for cardiac care and the developer of the aquapheresis therapy and the Aquadex FlexFlow Fluid Removal system. Fluid overload is failure to eliminate excess fluid, primarily salt and water, from the body. While many conditions such as renal failure, metabolic disease and post surgical conditions may result in fluid overload, congestive heart failure is a leading cause. Aquapheresis therapy and the Aquadex FlexFlow Fluid Removal system are designed specifically for use by physicians to safely, effectively, and conveniently treat fluid overloaded patients by removing excess salt and water. With aquaphereis, the physician specifies the amount of fluid to be removed from a patient's blood at a controlled rate and the system does so in a highly controlled and effective way.

Part of Medtronic Plc, XRT Corp. is a company that develops, manufactures, and distributes catheter-based therapeutic solutions. The company is based in St. Paul, MN. XRT was acquired by Medtronic, Inc., part of Medtronic Plc from January 27, 2015 on February 16, 2000.

St. Jude Medical LLC develops, manufactures and distributes cardiovascular medical devices for the global cardiac rhythm management, cardiovascular and atrial fibrillation therapy areas and neurostimulation medical devices for the management of chronic pain. The company was founded by Manuel A. Villafana in 1976 and is headquartered in St. Paul, MN.

Osprey Medical, Inc. engages in the development to prevent harmful effect of x-ray dye used during angiographic imaging procedures. Its product includes Dyevert system, which is designed to reduce the amount of dye contrast injected into the patients during standard cardiovascular procedures. The company was founded by Frank Solomon, David Kaye, and James Edward Shapland on August 31, 2005 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, MN.