Philips buys Dixtal

has reached an agreement to acquire Brazilian-based Dixtal Biomédica e Tecnologia (Dixtal). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dixtal manufactures anaesthesia, ventilation, and ECG (electrocardiogram) equipment as well as other sensors for measuring vital signs.

Dixtal will become part of the Patient Monitoring business within Philips' Healthcare sector and Philips expects Dixtal’s financial results to be consolidated in this business from the third quarter of 2008.

The acquisition, announced on May 13, marks another step toward Philips’ goal of expanding its presence in high-growth healthcare markets in emerging economies. Philips has already acquired healthcare companies Shenzhen Goldway Industrial in China and VMI Sistemas Medicos in Brazil.

‘Emerging markets represent a real opportunity for us to keep growing our healthcare business at Philips,’ said Daurio Speranzini Júnior, senior vice president of Philips Healthcare Latin America. ‘If you just take Latin America, our addressable healthcare market in 2007 was estimated to be valued at approximately €1.2bn, and growing at twice the rate of developed markets. Acquiring Dixtal will help us further tap into that growth.’