In 1913, Parker B. Francis founded the predecessor to Puritan-Bennett, originally incorporated as Oxygen Gas Company, which was a manufacturer and distributor of oxygen and hydrogen.[1][2] In 1920 the company changed its name to the Kansas City Oxygen Company and then again in 1931 to Puritan Compressed Gas Corporation as it continued to expand.[2] In 1940, V. Ray Bennett and Associates, Inc was founded by Ray Bennett in Santa Monica, CA.[3] In 1945 Bennett applies for a patent for the BR-X2 ventilator developed during WWII[3] for delivery of intermittent positive pressure ventilation to pilots after he witnessed several crashes caused by pilots passing out in unpressurized aircraft at high altitude.[2] He would later invent a mechanical ventilator as an alternative to the iron lung machine.[4] V. Ray Bennett and Associates, Inc was acquired by Puritan in 1956 and the next year the company was renamed Bennett Respiration Products, Inc.[2] By the 60's the company had added products such as the bubble jet and a heated humidifier to its oxygen therapy line.[2] In 1967 Puritan released the MA-1 Volume Ventilator, an invention of Bennet's.[2] This virtually replaced the cumbersome iron lung and made Bennet and Puritan recognizable names in the larger medical equipment field.[2] This allowed the company to grow even more as they targeted international markets.[2] In 1968 the parent company reorganized itself as the Puritan-Bennett Corporation and consolidated its medical marketing department into a single unit.[2]
In 1995, Nellcor acquired Puritan-Bennett and the newly expanded company was renamed Nellcor Puritan Bennett.[5] In 1997, Nellcor Puritan Bennett became a part of Mallinckrodt, a medical products company with product lines in respiratory care, diagnostic imaging and analgesicpharmaceuticals. In 1998, Puritan-Bennett Aero Systems (PBASCO[2]) was sold to BE Aerospace Inc.[6][7]
In 2015, Medtronic acquired Covidien and inherited all brands, including Puritan Bennett.[12]
On February 20 2024, Medtronic announced that it will discontinue Puritan Bennett ventilators and exit the ventilator business.[13]
Ventilators
840 Ventilator System
The 840 Ventilator System is the old-fashioned acute critical care ventilator sold by Puritan Bennett. Launched in some countries older than 2001. It is the flagship product in Puritan Bennett's line of critical care ventilators.[14]
The 700 Series (740 & 760) Ventilator System is a critical care ventilator model prior to the current 840 Series. The system was designed in Galway, Ireland.
7200 Series
The 7200 Series is a critical care ventilator model prior to the 760 Series.[15]
560 Series
The 560 Series is a portable ventilation unit.[16]
Bennett MA-1
The Bennett MA-1 ventilator was a volume-cycled, constant flow generator that had three adjustable modes: assist, control, or assist-control. This model was the most commonly used ventilators in clinical practice.[17]
^Bone, R. C.; Eubanks, D. H. (1992). "Understanding and operating the Bennett MA-1 ventilator. Tips on adjusting the controls to avoid problems". The Journal of Critical Illness. 7 (4): 547–560. ISSN1040-0257. PMID10148159.
^Neidhardt, A.; Barale, F.; Neidhardt-Audion, M.; Vieille, J.; Daoudal, P.; Redersdorff, B. (1980). "[The adaptation of the Bennett PR2 to intermittent mandatory ventilation (author's transl)]". Anesthésie, Analgésie, Réanimation. 37 (5–6): 331–334. ISSN0003-3014. PMID7006463.
^"BENNETT Pressure Breathing Therapy Unit, Model TV-2P". Journal of the American Medical Association. 154 (12): 1003. 1954-03-20. ISSN0002-9955. PMID13129089.