A Medical Device Daily

Carestream Health is the new name unveiled for the independent company that will result from the sale of the Health Group of Eastman Kodak (Rochester, New York) to a subsidiary of Onex (Toronto). The $2.55 billion sale is expected to close in the first half of '07, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal was first disclosed earlier this month (Medical Device Daily, Jan. 11, 2007).

Carestream Health with more than 8,100 employees will become a stand-alone company, "taking its place among the world's largest medical imaging and healthcare IT businesses," Kodak said.

The Health Group "now takes a major step toward a new beginning" with introduction of the new name, said Robert Le Blanc, chairman of Carestream Health and managing director of Onex.

Kodak said the name will vary somewhat internationally to reflect local laws and practices. In the UK, for example, it will be known as Carestream Health UK Limited, and in some countries Argentina, Brazil, China and Mexico the Carestream Health name will not be used initially for regulatory reasons. Onex said no change will occur worldwide in the use of Carestream as a sub-brand for products and services. The Health Group in 2005 began using the Carestream name to identify a range of digital medical imaging and IT products.

The Health Group is a provider of medical and dental imaging systems and information technology solutions, molecular imaging systems and other testing products.