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Microlife Corporation

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Microlife Corporation
IndustryMedical diagnostics
FoundedTaipei, Taiwan (1981 (1981))
Headquarters
Widnau, Switzerland
Florida, United States
Taipei, Taiwan
ProductsBlood Pressure Monitors
Digital Thermometers
Peak Flow Meter
Heat Therapy Aids
Blood Glucose Management Devices
Weight Management Devices
Websitewww.microlife.com

Microlife Corporation (simplified Chinese: 百略医学科技股份有限公司; traditional Chinese: 百略醫學科技股份有限公司; pinyin: Bǎi lüè yīxué kējì gǔfèn yǒuxiàn gōngsī) is a medical diagnostics company that specializes in the development and manufacture of blood pressure monitors,[1] digital thermometers,[2] Peak Flow Meters,[3][4] heat therapy aids, blood glucose management devices and weight management devices. Microlife is currently the world's largest manufacturer of digital medical thermometers[4] and a major provider of electronic blood pressure monitoring devices.[5] The company maintains international divisions throughout the world.[3]

History

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Microlife was founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1981.[3] It was known as the "Micro Idea Instruments Co." upon its founding.[3] Its first product was a digital medical thermometer and, in 1985. The company added blood pressure monitors to their product lines in 1995.[2] A branch office was opened in Switzerland in 1996,[6] and the first office in the United States was opened the following year.[3] In 2002, Microlife acquired Maine-based Biddeford Blankets.[7] Four years later, it acquired the Golden, Colorado-based medical diagnostic equipment manufacturer, HealtheTech.[8]

In 2009, the company became the first medical diagnostics manufacturer to produce a blood pressure monitor that detected both hypertension and atrial fibrillation (both of which are warning signs for stroke).[6] the firm entered into a partnership with PharmaSmart in 2012 in an effort to expand their reach in the United States.[9]

The company teamed up with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a cost-effective blood pressure monitoring device (Microlife CRADLE VSA) designed for use in low- and middle-income countries. It has been used in countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.[10] Advertising activities of the Microlife company regarding slogans, e.g. "Recommended by doctors" or "Swiss products" violated the ethics of advertising, which was confirmed by, among others Advertising Council at a meeting of the advertising committee on February 11, 2015.[11][12]

Products

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Microlife's medical devices are approved for hospital use.[citation needed] In addition to blood pressure management devices, the company also makes devices for fever management, asthma management, flexible heating, weight management and blood glucose management.[citation needed]

Technology

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Microlife's blood pressure monitors and the technologies they house have been the subject of numerous studies[13][14][15] and have been validated for both clinical[16] and home use.[17] One of Microlife's technologies is the atrial fibrillation detection incorporated into their blood pressure monitors.[18] Their WatchBP Home A device was a AFIB Technology recommended by the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2013.[19] WatchBP Home A was recommended to be used for hypertension monitoring and atrial fibrillation screening in primary care, using the device in primary care could increase the detection rate of atrial fibrillation compared with taking the pulse by hand.[19] Microlife also patented the "Microlife Average Mode" (MAM), which is a feature in the blood pressure monitors that takes three consecutive readings and creates an average from that data.[20][21] Pulse arrhythmia detection (PAD), which is another feature in some Microlife blood pressure monitors that automatically detects irregular heartbeats, is another one of the company's primary technologies.[22] Over their lifespan and their different iterations, Microlife blood pressure monitors have been validated by the British Hypertension Society with their highest rating (AA).[3][23]

References

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  1. ^ Kao, Camaron (22 April 2014). "New sphygmomanometer to drive Microlife's sales". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Tops in electronic thermometers". TempSensorNEWS. 15 May 2010. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Microlife USA Inc.(Peak Flow Monitor)". HighBeam Research. 7 February 2005. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Taiwans Botschafter besucht St. Gallen und das Rheintal".
  5. ^ Lau, Lee Tung (25 September 2014). "移动医疗健康:BAT的下一个主战场？" (in Chinese). Baidu. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Microlife-WatchBP Series is Proud to Present its Total Concept at the World Hypertension Congress". PR Newswire. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  7. ^ "Taiwanese company moving headquarters to Biddeford". Sun Journal. 13 February 2003. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Microlife (Dunedin, Florida), a developer of diagnostic equipment such as blood pressure monitors, thermometers, peak flow devices, reported that it has acquired HealtheTech (Golden, Colorado), a provider of advanced diagnostic devices and software that measure and monitor health parameters used to manage weight, nutrition and fitness.(Deals roundup)". HighBeam Research. 9 November 2006. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  9. ^ "PharmaSmart, Microlife partner on CV risk factor solution". Chain Drug Review. 17 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  10. ^ "CRADLE (Community blood pressure monitoring in Rural Africa: Detection of underLying pre-Eclampsia)". Pre-Empt. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Rada Reklamy - Uchwała Nr ZO 07/15 w sprawie reklamy firmy CHDE Polska sp. z o.o. sp. k." 2016-04-20. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  12. ^ "Rekomendacja od lekarzy wbrew etyce na opakowaniu inhalatorów Microlife". www.wirtualnemedia.pl (in Polish). 3 March 2015. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  13. ^ Nouwen, E; Snijder, M; van Montfrans, G; Wolf, H (18 February 2011). "Validation of the Omron M7 and Microlife 3BTO-A blood pressure measuring devices in preeclampsia". Hypertension in Pregnancy. 31 (1): 131–139. doi:10.3109/10641955.2010.544799. PMID 21332327. S2CID 20949121.
  14. ^ Nip, Amy (16 May 2013). "Home blood pressure monitors may not be accurate: Consumer Council". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  15. ^ Phend, Crystal (24 August 2011). "24-Hour Monitoring Best to Diagnose Hypertension". MedPage Today. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Sphygmomanometers for Clinical Use". www.dableducational.org. dabl Educational Trust. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  17. ^ "Sphygmomanometers for Self-measurement of Blood Pressure (SBPM)". www.dableducational.org. dabl Educational Trust. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  18. ^ McNamee, David (14 August 2014). "Home blood pressure monitors: how do they stack up?". Medical News Today. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  19. ^ a b Mahendra, Piriya (21 January 2013). "NICE recommends BP monitor for atrial fibrillation detection". medwireNews. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  20. ^ Palatini, P; Dorigatti, F; Bonso, E; Ragazzo, F (October 2008). "Validation of the Microlife BP W200-1 wrist device for blood pressure measurement". Blood Pressure Monitoring. 13 (5): 295–298. doi:10.1097/MBP.0b013e3283057b1d. PMID 18799956. S2CID 2566426.
  21. ^ "Microlife USA Moves Headquarters to Tampa". PR Newswire. 26 July 2004. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  22. ^ "Microlife launches next-generation home monitoring products". Medica. 28 October 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  23. ^ Roizen, Michael; Mehmet Oz (14 December 2012). "Eight steps turn your checkup into a tune-up". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
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