Stryker

When Dr. Homer Stryker, an orthopaedic surgeon from Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A, found that certain medical products were not meeting his patients’ needs, he invented new ones. As interest in these products grew, Dr. Stryker started a company in 1941 to produce them.

Today, they are one of the world‘s leading medical technology companies. Their growth is based on a diverse array of innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical, and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes – which they achieve through the dedication of our more than 33,000 employees globally. Stryker acquired Physio Control in 2016 to increase its strength in emergency medicine.


Physio Control was established in 1955 when Dr. Karl William Edmark, a cardiovascular surgeon, discovered the DC Defibrillator as a result of his efforts to prevent deaths using electricity in sudden cardiac arrest. Physio Control is the pioneer of defibrillators and is the world leader in its field.

Company‘s firsts; 
  • Introduction of the External Pacemaker (1960),
  • Introduction of the first portable LIFEPAK® Defibrillator / Monitor (1968),
  • Development of synchronized cardioversion features to be able to transmit ECG signals over the phone (1972),
  • The development of the waveform and cardioscope "freezing" feature (1973),
  • Introduction of Integrated ECG Strip Recorder (1974),
  • For paramedics in the world, 19 pounds, that is, about 8.6 kg, became the standard (1967).