07.21.20
Rank: #7 (Last year: #7) $15.88 Billion
Prior Fiscal: $15.56 Billion
Percentage Change: +2.0%
No. of Employees: 52,000
Global Headquarters: Erlangen, Germany
KEY EXECUTIVES:
Bernd Montag, Ph.D., CEO
Jochen Schmitz, Ph.D., CFO
Christoph Zindel, Ph.D., Member of the Managing Board
Imagine, if you will, being a doctor. Now picture, instead of clinical images on a 2D monitor while preparing for surgery, you don a mixed-reality headset that superimposes a realistic, 3D overview of the surgical area. Pretty far out, right?
Well, that’s precisely what German medical device maker Siemens Healthineers aims to do by fusing its Cinematic Rendering photorealistic 3D visualization with Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 released last February. Visitors at last year’s European Congress of Radiology were able to test the headset.
“We firmly believe that a photorealistic representation of clinical images can make communication between physicians and patients easier, and that it can also help with medical training,” Christian Zapf, head of the Syngo Business Line at Siemens Healthineers, told the press.
Clinicians and medical students can use HoloLens 2 with Cinematic Rendering to interact with CT and MR images—enlarge them, zoom in, and rotate them using gestures, speech, or eye gaze. The application can ease the discussion about complex cases with difficult anatomy, for example, in a pediatric or trauma context. It can also bring together multidisciplinary medical teams—Cinematic Rendering can provide realistic and natural visualization of difficult interventional radiology and surgery procedures to help non-radiological physicians understand their patients’ MR or CT images.
Patients can also have a helpful visualization of what’s happening inside their bodies and the nature of their upcoming surgery. Medical students and trainees can benefit from the opportunity to virtually investigate specific anatomical features and clinical conditions, somewhat of a “living anatomy session.”
The German medtech maker put forth a strong showing last year. Fiscal 2019 sales (ended Sept. 30) rose 8 percent, coming to rest at $15.88 billion. Outstanding performance from the Imaging and Advanced Therapies businesses were the main drivers. All major geographical markets were healthy despite then-ongoing Brexit negotiations and U.S. tariff disputes with China. The Advanced Therapies business posted 1.61 billion euros in sales, a 9 percent climb over the prior year supported chiefly by Asia, Australia, and the EMEA region.
Though this segment didn’t put forth any new products last year, Advanced Therapies was heavily bolstered by last October’s $1.1 billion purchase of robotic-assisted vascular intervention firm Corindus Vascular Robotics. Siemens gains FDA-cleared and CE marked robotic systems to precisely control guide catheters, guidewires, and balloon or stent implants using integrated imaging. Corindus’ CorPath systems will be combined with Siemens angiography systems and eventually digitization and artificial intelligence solutions to boost capabilities for image-based minimally invasive procedures.
“We are taking an important step forward in the upgrading phase of our 2025 strategy,” Bernd Montag, Siemens Healthineers CEO, told the press.
Imaging business proceeds shot up 10 percent to reach 8.94 billion euros, with the Molecular Imaging portfolio reporting impressive growth. Sales increased across the globe—particularly in the Americas—but also strongly in the EMEA region, Asia, and Australia.
January saw an FDA nod for the Multix Impact floor-mounted digital radiogaphy system. A touch user interface lets technologists remain at the patient’s side longer and enables continuous monitoring to minimize repeat imaging and avoid excessive radiation dose. Motorization and tracking features also reduce staff members’ exertion.
The Magnetom Lumina 3T also earned FDA clearance in January. Its 70 cm bore and AI-powered technologies can reduce whole spine exam times by 20 percent compared to conventional systems, with some routine musculoskeletal exam times cut in half. An optional in-bore infotainment system (still under development) can also move with the scanner table to create the illusion of an enlarged bore.
The Somatom go.Top Cardiovascular Edition debuted at last March’s Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology. The new CT system personalizes dosage in all types of routine cardiovascular imaging via the Care kV feature, which selects optimal kV settings in 10 kV increments. Coronary CT angiography and advanced tests like the HeartFlow FFRCT analysis—which evaluates impact of a blockage on blood flow for treatment selection—can be performed on the 128-slice scanner.
Later in March the FDA greenlighted the Mobilett Elara mobile X-ray system. Features include a virtual workstation to boost workflow, comprehensive IT security, secure hospital network system integration features, and an antimicrobial coating. The system’s 180-degree lateral arm movement also maximizes position options.
Two dedicated radiation planning CT systems were unveiled at last September’s American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting: the 64-slice Somatom go.Sim and 128-slice Somatom go.Open Pro. Both have an 85 cm bore, tablet-controlled optional patient parking lasers mounted on the gantry, and deep-learning powered autocontouring software. The go.Open Pro system can adapt image acquisition to patient breathing in real time to facilitate use of stereotactic body radiation therapy, which needs high precision to avoid damaging healthy tissue. They earned FDA clearance last December.
The Artis icono family of angiography systems—Artis icono biplane and Artis icono floor—received an FDA OK last September. icono biplane enables a variety of neuroradiology and abdominal imaging procedures through a revolutionary form of cone beam CT that produces fewer artifacts in the basal section of the brain and close to the skull. Ten different time points can be depicted in 60 seconds. The flexible, multi-axis icono floor is suited for vascular, interventional cardiology, surgical, and oncology procedures. According to Siemens, this floor-mounted CT can achieve virtually the same angles as a ceiling-mounted system.
Shortly thereafter, the AI-Rad Companion Chest CT software assistant won an FDA nod. The software helps quickly interpret chest images thanks to automatically highlighted abnormalities and pathological findings, including: automated lesion detection, localization of abnormality localization, and lung lesion measurement; quantification of per-lobe low-attenuation parenchyma; enhanced lung lesion visualization; automated lung lobe segmentation and enhanced low-attenuation parenchyma visualization; segmentation and measurement of maximum thoracic aorta diameters; quantification of the total coronary artery calcium volume; and detection of nine anatomical landmarks identified by American Heart Association guidelines.
The Acuson Redwood ultrasound system hit the market last October. Contrast enhanced ultrasound and shear wave elastography support lesion detection and characterization, and can reduce the need for invasive procedures. Micro-pinless technology and single crystal transducers boost image quality, and coherent image formation technology maintains B-mode performance in complex modes.
The FDA cleared the Somatom X.cite CT scanner with intelligent user interface concept in November. The scanner touts an 82 cm bore and optional Moodlight feature. A new 2D visualization camera allows close patient monitoring while inside the gantry for potentially fewer motion artifacts. The myExam Companion intelligent assistant renders complicated clinical decision making into 20+ user-definable clinical decision trees displayed on the interface.
Siemens unveiled a number of new imaging products at last December’s 105th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America:
AI-Rad Companion Brain MR for Morphometry Analysis: automatically identifies about 30 brain segments on MRI images, measures their volumes, and compares results to Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative normative brain morphometry data.
AI-Rad Companion Prostate MR for Biopsy Support: automatically segments prostate and marks outer contour. After suspect areas are marked, images are sent to urology for fusion with ultrasound images during biopsy.
Somatom On.site: head CT scanner for use at the patient’s bedside.
CrewPlace: cloud-based workforce platform optimizes labor force and automates assignment and dispatch of full-time technologists. It also allows on-demand access to Siemens Healthineers-aggregrated labor pool outside of a healthcare organization.
Diagnostics revenue grew 4 percent to 4.13 billion Euros. Robust sales in Asia, Australia, and a moderate rise in the EMEA region were tempered by a small drop in Americas sales.
The Atellica CH Enzymatic Hemoglobin A1c assay became available last May. According to company data, this test to monitor diabetes boosts precision and accuracy over leading alternative methodologies.
“Laboratories are seeking HbA1c assays that can be integrated onto chemistry testing platforms and that provide the accurate and precise results patients deserve,” Siemens Healthineers president of Laboratory Diagnostics Deepak Nath, Ph.D., told the press.
Handheld technology for point-of-care immunoassay testing was added to the Diagnostics portfolio courtesy of last July’s acquisition of Netherlands-based Minicare BV (financial details left undisclosed). Siemens aims to transform in-vitro diagnostic care delivery and experience by further developing Minicare’s technology.
Finally, Siemens strengthened its Enterprise Services business by closing a deal for U.S. healthcare advisory firm ECG Management Consultants in November. ECG’s consulting services include the areas of strategy, finance, operations, and technology to hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and healthcare payers.
“…the partnership with ECG will enable us to address the needs of our customers more comprehensively than ever before, helping them to further improve healthcare delivery and provide better care at lower cost,” said Montag.
COVID-19 Consequences
On March 11, Siemens Healthineers-backed teleradiology and telemedicine firm USARad launched a screening program that connects radiologists to healthcare workers on the front lines of the outbreak. The company will also provide a network of chest CT-trained imaging experts, along with pulmonologists and infectious disease specialists. Studies have shown the imaging modality plays a key role in identifying the virus, including the ability to spot lung abnormalities.
On April 22, the company announced development of a lab-based test to detect IgM and IgG antibodies for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Available on the Atellica Solution immunoassay analyzer, it can run up to 440 tests per hour with results in 14 minutes.
The firm’s lab-based SARS-CoV-2 total antibody test recieved FDA EUA on June 1. According to the company, the test demonstrated 100 percent sensitivity and 99.8 percent specificity. The test, which is also CE marked, began shipping the week prior.
Prior Fiscal: $15.56 Billion
Percentage Change: +2.0%
No. of Employees: 52,000
Global Headquarters: Erlangen, Germany
KEY EXECUTIVES:
Bernd Montag, Ph.D., CEO
Jochen Schmitz, Ph.D., CFO
Christoph Zindel, Ph.D., Member of the Managing Board
Imagine, if you will, being a doctor. Now picture, instead of clinical images on a 2D monitor while preparing for surgery, you don a mixed-reality headset that superimposes a realistic, 3D overview of the surgical area. Pretty far out, right?
Well, that’s precisely what German medical device maker Siemens Healthineers aims to do by fusing its Cinematic Rendering photorealistic 3D visualization with Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 released last February. Visitors at last year’s European Congress of Radiology were able to test the headset.
“We firmly believe that a photorealistic representation of clinical images can make communication between physicians and patients easier, and that it can also help with medical training,” Christian Zapf, head of the Syngo Business Line at Siemens Healthineers, told the press.
Clinicians and medical students can use HoloLens 2 with Cinematic Rendering to interact with CT and MR images—enlarge them, zoom in, and rotate them using gestures, speech, or eye gaze. The application can ease the discussion about complex cases with difficult anatomy, for example, in a pediatric or trauma context. It can also bring together multidisciplinary medical teams—Cinematic Rendering can provide realistic and natural visualization of difficult interventional radiology and surgery procedures to help non-radiological physicians understand their patients’ MR or CT images.
Patients can also have a helpful visualization of what’s happening inside their bodies and the nature of their upcoming surgery. Medical students and trainees can benefit from the opportunity to virtually investigate specific anatomical features and clinical conditions, somewhat of a “living anatomy session.”
The German medtech maker put forth a strong showing last year. Fiscal 2019 sales (ended Sept. 30) rose 8 percent, coming to rest at $15.88 billion. Outstanding performance from the Imaging and Advanced Therapies businesses were the main drivers. All major geographical markets were healthy despite then-ongoing Brexit negotiations and U.S. tariff disputes with China. The Advanced Therapies business posted 1.61 billion euros in sales, a 9 percent climb over the prior year supported chiefly by Asia, Australia, and the EMEA region.
Though this segment didn’t put forth any new products last year, Advanced Therapies was heavily bolstered by last October’s $1.1 billion purchase of robotic-assisted vascular intervention firm Corindus Vascular Robotics. Siemens gains FDA-cleared and CE marked robotic systems to precisely control guide catheters, guidewires, and balloon or stent implants using integrated imaging. Corindus’ CorPath systems will be combined with Siemens angiography systems and eventually digitization and artificial intelligence solutions to boost capabilities for image-based minimally invasive procedures.
“We are taking an important step forward in the upgrading phase of our 2025 strategy,” Bernd Montag, Siemens Healthineers CEO, told the press.
Imaging business proceeds shot up 10 percent to reach 8.94 billion euros, with the Molecular Imaging portfolio reporting impressive growth. Sales increased across the globe—particularly in the Americas—but also strongly in the EMEA region, Asia, and Australia.
January saw an FDA nod for the Multix Impact floor-mounted digital radiogaphy system. A touch user interface lets technologists remain at the patient’s side longer and enables continuous monitoring to minimize repeat imaging and avoid excessive radiation dose. Motorization and tracking features also reduce staff members’ exertion.
The Magnetom Lumina 3T also earned FDA clearance in January. Its 70 cm bore and AI-powered technologies can reduce whole spine exam times by 20 percent compared to conventional systems, with some routine musculoskeletal exam times cut in half. An optional in-bore infotainment system (still under development) can also move with the scanner table to create the illusion of an enlarged bore.
The Somatom go.Top Cardiovascular Edition debuted at last March’s Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology. The new CT system personalizes dosage in all types of routine cardiovascular imaging via the Care kV feature, which selects optimal kV settings in 10 kV increments. Coronary CT angiography and advanced tests like the HeartFlow FFRCT analysis—which evaluates impact of a blockage on blood flow for treatment selection—can be performed on the 128-slice scanner.
Later in March the FDA greenlighted the Mobilett Elara mobile X-ray system. Features include a virtual workstation to boost workflow, comprehensive IT security, secure hospital network system integration features, and an antimicrobial coating. The system’s 180-degree lateral arm movement also maximizes position options.
Two dedicated radiation planning CT systems were unveiled at last September’s American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting: the 64-slice Somatom go.Sim and 128-slice Somatom go.Open Pro. Both have an 85 cm bore, tablet-controlled optional patient parking lasers mounted on the gantry, and deep-learning powered autocontouring software. The go.Open Pro system can adapt image acquisition to patient breathing in real time to facilitate use of stereotactic body radiation therapy, which needs high precision to avoid damaging healthy tissue. They earned FDA clearance last December.
The Artis icono family of angiography systems—Artis icono biplane and Artis icono floor—received an FDA OK last September. icono biplane enables a variety of neuroradiology and abdominal imaging procedures through a revolutionary form of cone beam CT that produces fewer artifacts in the basal section of the brain and close to the skull. Ten different time points can be depicted in 60 seconds. The flexible, multi-axis icono floor is suited for vascular, interventional cardiology, surgical, and oncology procedures. According to Siemens, this floor-mounted CT can achieve virtually the same angles as a ceiling-mounted system.
Shortly thereafter, the AI-Rad Companion Chest CT software assistant won an FDA nod. The software helps quickly interpret chest images thanks to automatically highlighted abnormalities and pathological findings, including: automated lesion detection, localization of abnormality localization, and lung lesion measurement; quantification of per-lobe low-attenuation parenchyma; enhanced lung lesion visualization; automated lung lobe segmentation and enhanced low-attenuation parenchyma visualization; segmentation and measurement of maximum thoracic aorta diameters; quantification of the total coronary artery calcium volume; and detection of nine anatomical landmarks identified by American Heart Association guidelines.
The Acuson Redwood ultrasound system hit the market last October. Contrast enhanced ultrasound and shear wave elastography support lesion detection and characterization, and can reduce the need for invasive procedures. Micro-pinless technology and single crystal transducers boost image quality, and coherent image formation technology maintains B-mode performance in complex modes.
The FDA cleared the Somatom X.cite CT scanner with intelligent user interface concept in November. The scanner touts an 82 cm bore and optional Moodlight feature. A new 2D visualization camera allows close patient monitoring while inside the gantry for potentially fewer motion artifacts. The myExam Companion intelligent assistant renders complicated clinical decision making into 20+ user-definable clinical decision trees displayed on the interface.
Siemens unveiled a number of new imaging products at last December’s 105th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America:
AI-Rad Companion Brain MR for Morphometry Analysis: automatically identifies about 30 brain segments on MRI images, measures their volumes, and compares results to Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative normative brain morphometry data.
AI-Rad Companion Prostate MR for Biopsy Support: automatically segments prostate and marks outer contour. After suspect areas are marked, images are sent to urology for fusion with ultrasound images during biopsy.
Somatom On.site: head CT scanner for use at the patient’s bedside.
CrewPlace: cloud-based workforce platform optimizes labor force and automates assignment and dispatch of full-time technologists. It also allows on-demand access to Siemens Healthineers-aggregrated labor pool outside of a healthcare organization.
Diagnostics revenue grew 4 percent to 4.13 billion Euros. Robust sales in Asia, Australia, and a moderate rise in the EMEA region were tempered by a small drop in Americas sales.
The Atellica CH Enzymatic Hemoglobin A1c assay became available last May. According to company data, this test to monitor diabetes boosts precision and accuracy over leading alternative methodologies.
“Laboratories are seeking HbA1c assays that can be integrated onto chemistry testing platforms and that provide the accurate and precise results patients deserve,” Siemens Healthineers president of Laboratory Diagnostics Deepak Nath, Ph.D., told the press.
Handheld technology for point-of-care immunoassay testing was added to the Diagnostics portfolio courtesy of last July’s acquisition of Netherlands-based Minicare BV (financial details left undisclosed). Siemens aims to transform in-vitro diagnostic care delivery and experience by further developing Minicare’s technology.
Finally, Siemens strengthened its Enterprise Services business by closing a deal for U.S. healthcare advisory firm ECG Management Consultants in November. ECG’s consulting services include the areas of strategy, finance, operations, and technology to hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and healthcare payers.
“…the partnership with ECG will enable us to address the needs of our customers more comprehensively than ever before, helping them to further improve healthcare delivery and provide better care at lower cost,” said Montag.
COVID-19 Consequences
Q2 2020 Revenue: 3.68 Billion Euros
Q2 2019 Revenue: 3.51 Billion Euros
Percentage Change: +4.8%
On March 11, Siemens Healthineers-backed teleradiology and telemedicine firm USARad launched a screening program that connects radiologists to healthcare workers on the front lines of the outbreak. The company will also provide a network of chest CT-trained imaging experts, along with pulmonologists and infectious disease specialists. Studies have shown the imaging modality plays a key role in identifying the virus, including the ability to spot lung abnormalities.
On April 22, the company announced development of a lab-based test to detect IgM and IgG antibodies for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Available on the Atellica Solution immunoassay analyzer, it can run up to 440 tests per hour with results in 14 minutes.
The firm’s lab-based SARS-CoV-2 total antibody test recieved FDA EUA on June 1. According to the company, the test demonstrated 100 percent sensitivity and 99.8 percent specificity. The test, which is also CE marked, began shipping the week prior.