A Medical Device Daily

Owens & Minor (Richmond, Virginia), a distributor of medical and surgical supplies and a healthcare supply-chain management company, reported that it has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry. The partnership is designed to increase energy efficiency, while at the same time, significantly reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Owens & Minor's private fleet and its energy-efficient business practices earned the SmartWay Performance score of 1.25, the highest rating available in the SmartWay Transport Partnership. Through its fleet management practices, Owens & Minor will contribute to the Partnership's goal to reduce up to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012, through improvement in the environmental performance of private fleet operations. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog.

In other agreements/contracts news:

• RSB Spine (Cleveland) said that it has signed an exclusive master distribution agreement with Paradigm BioDevices for the U.S. market. Paradigm BioDevices was instrumental in developing the Stand Alone 360 market for Zero-Profile ALIF implants, which is one of the fastest growing segments in the spine market. RSB Spine's growing portfolio of modular fusion products offers surgeons more choices than existing technologies in the zero profile segment of the market. RSB Spine will introduce two new products this year, and two additional products in 2010, making the need for effective distribution critical to the ongoing success of the company.

RSB Spine CEO John Redmond said, "We are delighted with this partnership and believe that Paradigm BioDevices' proven success and expertise in this market will greatly enhance our efforts to bring unique, surgeon-friendly implants to RSB's customers. Distribution is one of the most difficult aspects of this business, and we are confident that Paradigm BioDevices will provide increased opportunities for access to quality agents and rapid sales growth."

• Philips Healthcare (Andover, Massachusetts) has signed a two-year ultrasound imaging agreement with Adventist Health (Roseville, California) in which Philips will provide ultrasound systems for general imaging and cardiac specialties to the non-profit organization, which operates 17 hospitals throughout California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. The agreement was designed to standardize ultrasound equipment throughout the Adventist Health System. Among the new ultrasound systems to be featured throughout Adventist Health is Philips iE33 intelligent echo system designed to help with the clinical needs of managing patients with cardiac disease, such as heart failure, valvular disease and congenital heart disease.