3M acquires Arizant Inc

3M has announced the completion of its acquisition of patient warming products maker Arizant Inc, which specialises in products that prevent hypothermia in surgical settings.

The acquisition, first announced last month (See: 3M to buy patient warming products maker Arizant for $810 million) is 3M's third acquisition since, since acquiring Cogent Inc and Israel's Attenti.

Arizant created the category of forced-air warming, which is the preferred method of warming surgical patients in the US. The global market for patient warming is approximately $1 billion, with the forced-air warming category expected to grow at about 10 per cent annually.

Its other products include Bair Paws patient adjustable warming system, and the Ranger blood and fluid warming systems.

Arizant, which was majority-owned by Court Square Capital since 2004, created the forced-air patient warming category with the introduction of Bair Hugger therapy in 1987. Its products help maintain normal body temperature, known as normothermia, in surgical patients  and are said to help prevent surgical site infections and other complications associated with surgical hypothermia.

3M regards patient warming to be a highly strategic fit  and said Arizant would expands its own infection prevention offerings and will help to drive growth internationally.

3M's infection prevention business helps hospitals reduce healthcare-associated infections. Its wide variety of products and systems for controlling the risk of infection includes applications for sterilization and monitoring, hand hygiene, perioperative preps, and surgical drapes.

On 30 August, 3M  entered into a deal to acquire Cogent Inc, a manufacturer of fingerprint-identification systems, in a deal valued at $943 million, (See: 3M to acquire fingerprint-identification company Cogent in a $943 million deal)  a day later agreed to acquire Israel's Attenti Holdings SA from an investor group led by private-equity firm Francisco Partners for $230 million in cash. (See: 3M to acquire remote monitoring technology firm Attenti Holdings for $230 million)