Helix Medical to Invest in Cambus Medical

Helix Medical LLC is acquiring a 50 percent share in Cambus Medical as of January 2013. Helix will also provide expansion financing this year to the manufacturer of high precision hypotubes and micro-component solutions.

Hypotubes (hypodermic tubes) are a critical component of catheter systems for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Cambus operates a manufacturing site in Spiddal, near Galway, Ireland. Its manufacturing capabilities include injection molding, electrical discharge machining and electrochemical machining, laser precision cutting, laser welding and marking, assembly and packaging.

Helix Medical also holds a 50 percent share in VistaMed Ltd., a Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland-based designer and manufacturer of specialty catheter systems and extruded medical tubing. VistaMed’s Chairman, John O’Shaughnessy, also serves as chairman of Cambus Medical. The partnership with Cambus expands Helix’s offering to include a full range of components and design and manufacturing services for minimally invasive surgery devices.

“Cambus adds another key technology component to our portfolio and represents an important milestone in our long-term strategy to build a comprehensive global organization that serves as a strategic partner to medical device manufacturers,” said Jorg Schneewind, Ph.D., president and CEO of Helix Medical.

“Cambus Medical is positioned to serve the market for high precision catheter components and complements the catheter business of our partner VistaMed,” said Max Kley, Ph.D., president of Helix Medical Europe.

“Helix Medical’s global presence combined with our complementary engineering and manufacturing capabilities,” added Barry Comerford, managing director of Cambus Medical, “offers an ideal platform for the expansion of Cambus Medical’s service and product portfolio to customers worldwide.”

Founded in 2006, Cambus Medical is an ISO 13485 registered medical technology company.

Helix Medical’s medical manufacturing capabilities include design and development, silicone and thermoplastic molding and extrusion, complex catheter systems, assembly, packaging, and engineering services. The company operates U.S. Food and Drug Administration-registered medical device facilities, certified ISO 13485 with Class 7 and 8 cleanrooms. Helix was founded in 1984 and is based in Carpinteria, Calif.