“On May 1 Air Water took over the market rights the obstetric care monitoring units and obstetric care monitoring telemeters produced by GE Health Care Japan. Combined with the incubators and jaundice phototherapy systems produced by GE Health Care Japan which they had already been marketing, Air Water will handle all of the perinatal care related products produced by GE Health Care Japan.

As a transitional period, up to June 30 of this year the two companies will have a joint sales setup, but as of July 1 everything will be transferred to Air Water, including the repair and maintenance service.

Air Water is strongly positioned to market respirators for the newborn and infants, and medicine based on nitric oxide for the prevention of pulmonary vasodilatation. Right now, the newborn area has become a field in which they excel. With the transfer of sales rights, Air Water will expand its area further to encompass perinatal related items including those related to prenatal and postnatal care, further expanding its product lineup in this field. According to Katsuaki Yoneda, manager of the Medical Gas Related Department, “The image of Air Water as being strongly positioned when it comes to the newborn has been firmly established. In terms of strategy we’ll therefore expand our product line related to the newborn, and we would like this to lead to a comprehensive offering in this area.” By adding products, sales of its medical equipment business are expected to increase by 250 million yen. This year the company will put the Terumo home oxygen therapy business on a scale of 3.1 billion yen, and SPD company Healthcare-Tech on a scale of 21.5 billion yen under its wing. Their medical business has already exceeded a scale of 100 billion yen.”