History

Since 1976, St. Jude Medical has been a pioneer in cardiovascular medical technology. Founded as a heart valve manufacturer and now a global leader, St. Jude Medical has broadened its portfolio through internal development and strategic acquisitions.

It is our mission to develop medical technology and services that put more control into the hands of those who treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients, worldwide. We do this because we are dedicated to advancing the practice of medicine by reducing risk wherever possible and contributing to successful outcomes for every patient.

Early Cardiac History Milestones

1954

University of Minnesota cardiac surgeons performed the first open-heart surgeries using cross-circulation, a risky procedure where a parent was connected with tubes to his or her child to provide oxygenated blood during surgery

1955

C. Walton Lillehei, MD, (the "father of open-heart surgery") and his assistant, Richard DeWall, MD, developed the first practical heart-lung machine, eliminating the need for cross-circulation. Dr. Lillehei became medical director of St. Jude Medical in 1975, serving for 20 years.

1957

Dr. Lillehei and electrical engineer Earl Bakken developed the first external, wearable pacemaker

October 8, 1958

Patient Arne Larsson received the world's first implantable pacemaker in a pioneering operation at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1994, St. Jude Medical acquired the Swedish company (Elema-Schönander, which became Siemens-Pacesetter) that developed Arne Larsson's implantable pacemaker. Mr. Larsson received 26 pacemakers over the course of his lifetime, which included a successful career in engineering, world travel, frequent golf games, a marriage of more than 50 years and two children. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 86 from causes unrelated to his cardiac health, having outlived both the surgeon who implanted his first pacemaker and the engineer who developed it.

1962

Elema-Schönander (now Siemens-Elema) produced the first permanent endocardial pacing leads, which were inserted through a patient's vein leading to the heart. This replaced the crude technology of attaching epicardial leads to the outside of the heart, and allowed doctors to implant pacemakers without opening the chest or using general anesthesia.

1976

St. Jude Medical founded in St. Paul, Minnesota USA

1977

First implant of St. Jude Medical® mechanical heart valve

1978

Siemens-Elema introduced the first single-chip pacemaker, significantly reducing pacemaker size and improving reliability

1980s

December 1982

Received U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market mechanical heart valves in United States

1990s

May 1991

Received U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval to market mechanical heart valves made from St. Jude Medical's self-manufactured pyrolytic carbon components

July 1991

First implants of Toronto SPV® stentless tissue valve (Canada)

June 1994

Announced acquisition of Pacesetter, Inc; the cardiac rhythm management business of Siemens AG, with major operations in Sylmar, California and Veddesta, Sweden

January 1995

First implants of Microny™ pacemaker, world's smallest pacemaker (Europe)

January 1996

Announced acquisition of Daig Corporation, a Minnesota-based specialty catheter company

September 1996

Acquired Biocor, a tissue valve company based in Brazil

October 1996

Announced acquisitions of Ventritex, Inc.; a California implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) company; Telectronics Pacing Systems, based in Colorado; and Medtel, an Asia-Pacific medical products distribution business

February 1999

Announced acquisition of Angio-Seal™ vascular closure business from Tyco International

2000s

January 2000

One millionth St. Jude Medical mechanical heart valve implanted

July 2001

Received U.S. Food & Drug Administration pre-market approval for first U.S. pacemaker with AF Suppression™, the first clinically proven algorithm to suppress atrial fibrillation, the world's most common cardiac arrhythmia

July 2002

Two millionth Angio-Seal™ vascular closure device shipped

Initiated U.S. RHYTHM trial for Epic™ HF (heart failure) ICD

September 2002

Announced acquisition of Getz Bros. Co., Ltd., the largest distributor of St. Jude Medical's products in Japan

April 2003

Completed acquisition of Getz Bros. Co., Ltd. in Japan

May 2003

Announced investment in Epicor Medical, Inc., a company developing an innovative surgical approach to atrial fibrillation

First implants of the world's first ICD with AF Suppression™ technology

September 2003

Announced global launch of next-generation Angio-Seal™ STS Plus vascular closure device

November 2003

Announced FDA approval, CE Marking and first implant of Atlas®+ ICD

June 2004

Completed acquisition of Epicor Medical, Inc.

Announced U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval of high-voltage cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device system

October 2004

Completed acquisition of Irvine Biomedical, Inc., a California-based electrophysiology (EP) catheter company

November 2004

Announced 1.5 millionth mechanical heart valve implant

Completed two-for-one stock split

January 2005

Completed acquisition of Endocardial Solutions, Inc., a Minnesota-based company developing the EnSite® System for atrial fibrillation (AF) and other catheter procedures

Established an Atrial Fibrillation Division and Cardiology Division from former Daig business

Announced agreement to acquire Velocimed, a Minnesota-based company developing specialty interventional cardiology devices

Five millionth Angio-Seal vascular closure device shipped

April 2005

Completed acquisition of Velocimed, LLC

Received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and U.S. launch of Bipolar cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) lead

August 2005

Received U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval for Biocor® Stented Tissue Valve

November 2005

Completed acquisition of Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS) (http://www.ans-medical.com), Plano, Texas USA

January 2006

Completed acquisition of Savacor, Inc.

Named One of Country's Best Managed Companies by Forbes Magazine

April 2006

		Received FDA approval and U.S. market launch of the Merlin™ Patient Care System

May 2006

Received FDA approval of Epic II ICD and Epic II heart failure devices

July 2006

Received FDA approval of Atlas II ICD and Atlas II heart failure devices

August 2006

Received FDA approval of QuickOpt™ timing cycle optimization for heart failure and ICD patients

Established Cardiovascular Division, a combination of Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology Divisions

November 2006

Received FDA approval of ICD software for the Merlin™ Patient Care System

February 2007

Received FDA clearance for the Tripole™ 16C and Tripole™ 8C spinal cord stimulation leads for low back pain

Received FDA clearance for Venture™ Wire Control Catheter with new delivery platform

March 2007

St. Jude Medical Named FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired Medical and Other Precision Equipment Company

April 2007

Received FDA approval of Merlin™.net Patient Care Network, an Internet-based device data management system

May 2007

	Received FDA and European approvals for Zephyr™ pacemakers
	Received European approval of company's first wireless ICD (Current® RF ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (Promote® RF CRT-D)
Received FDA approval of Current® ICD and Promote® CRT-D, built on industry's first consolidated hardware/software platform

July 2007

Received Japanese approval of St. Jude Medical's first heart failure products in Japan

August 2007

Received Japanese approval of Angio-Seal™ STS Plus vascular closure device

September 2007

Received FDA approval of company's first wireless ICD ( Current® RF ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator ( Promote® RF CRT-D)

November 2007

Received FDA approval of SJM Epic™ stented tissue valve with anti-calcification technology

This Year

January 2008

Received FDA clearance of EnSite Fusion™ Registration Module, used to create detailed 3-D heart models
	Received FDA and European approvals of Durata™ Defibrillation Lead

February 2008

Received U.S. IDE (investigational device exemption) approval to start clinical trial of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for major depression

March 2008

FORTUNE Magazine named St. Jude Medical Most Admired Medical and Other Precision Equipment Company for second consecutive year

April 2008

SJM announced intent to acquire EP MedSystems, which develops products for atrial fibrillation and electrophysiology procedures
	Received FDA and European approvals of Eon Mini™, the world's smallest, longest-lasting rechargeable neurostimulator for chronic pain
	Received Japanese approval of Merlin™ Patient Care System, first programmer available in Japanese language

May 2008

Announced start of DETERMINE Clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of ICD therapy in heart attack patients
Received FDA approval for next-generation Merlin™.net Patient Care Network
	Received FDA and European approvals of IsoFlex® Optim™ Passive-Fixation pacing lead
	Released EnSite™ System Version 8.0 software