GE Healthcare closes $1.45B acquisition of BK Medical

GE Healthcare will expand its ultrasound business into the operating room. The company closed its planned $1.45 billion acquisition of surgical visualization company BK Medical.

BK Medical, which has headquarters in Boston and Copenhagen, currently has more than 650 employees. It has been experiencing double-digit revenue growth, the companies said in a news release.

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While GE Healthcare currently uses ultrasound for preoperative and postoperative visualization, the acquisition would also give it the ability to use ultrasound in real-time during a procedure, to help surgeons make decisions. BK Medical would also be able to reach new customers in new markets as part of GE.

BK Medical CEO Brooks West will continue to lead the company, and it will operate as part of GE Healthcare’s $3 billion ultrasound business.

“We have been on a journey to change the standard of care for surgery by making it possible for surgeons to make critical decisions in the operating room using real-time advanced visualization, allowing for better care, faster surgeries and reduced complications,” West said in a news release. “Together with GE this journey will continue, and we can look forward to making a greater impact in healthcare around the world.”

GE is currently in the process of spinning out its healthcare division as part of a broader restructuring. Last year, the division brought in $18 billion in revenue. GE Healthcare would become a separate, publicly traded company in 2023, with GE keeping a 20% stake.