Becton Dickinson
Encyclopedia
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) , is an American
medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered
in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
, BD does business in nearly 50 countries and has 28,803 employees worldwide. In fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, 60% of BD sales were generated from non-U.S. markets.
The company's customers include healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. BD was one of the first companies to sell U.S.-made glass syringes. It was also a pioneer in the production of hypodermic needles. Today, BD is divided into three segments: BD Medical, BD Diagnostics and BD Biosciences. BD was ranked 347 and 312, respectively, in the 2009 and 2010 Fortune 500
list.
and Fairleigh S. Dickinson
, two American businessmen who met on a sales trip. The same year the company made its first sale, a Luer-all-glass syringe
that sold for $2.50. In 1898 BD acquired its first patent
for a medical product. In 1899 the company introduced its first logo which was meant to symbolize guaranteed superior quality of the products provided by BD. In 1904 BD acquired the Philadelphia Surgical Company. This very first acquisition and other early acquisitions significantly expanded the company’s manufacturing ability and product offering. Two years later BD incorporated in the State of New Jersey
and built a manufacturing facility in East Rutherford, the first in the U.S. created specifically for the production of thermometer
s, hypodermic needles, and syringes. In 1924 BD manufactured its first syringe designed specifically for insulin
injection. One year later BD introduced the BD Yale Luer-Lok Syringe, designed and patented by Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Sr. It provided a simple and secure method of attaching and removing the needle to and from the syringe. Today, luer lock connectors are the standard for syringes in the U.S. In 1947 Joseph Kleiner developed the Evacutainer — a device used to draw blood by vacuum through a needle into a test tube. This product eventually evolved to become the BD Vacutainer
Blood Collection system.
and Henry P. Becton, sons of the founders, took over the company. Their 24-year tenure was a time of rapid development for BD. The company grew within the U.S. as well as internationally. In 1949 it opened its first manufacturing site outside of New Jersey in Columbus, Nebraska
. In 1961 it established a manufacturing facility in Canaan
, Connecticut
. BD also soon expanded to Canada
(1951), Mexico
(1952), France
(1955), and Brazil
(1956). The tenure of Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. and Henry P. Becton was also a time of significant product innovation. In 1950 BD's first sterile disposable product, a blood collection set, was developed and sold to the American Red Cross. In 1954 BD introduced the first completely disposable syringe made of glass: BD Hypak. This innovative product was used in a large-scale field test of the polio vaccine
developed by Dr. Jonas Salk
. One year later, BD entered the microbiology
field through the acquisition of the Baltimore Biological Laboratory. In 1961 the company introduced its disposable BD Plastipak syringe. Under the new leadership the company also went public (1962) and was appeared for the first time in the Fortune 500
list (1970).
in Research Triangle Park
. The center was established to help the company meet United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) requirements, research improved manufacturing and process methods, and develop future innovative technologies. In 1975 BD Pharmaceutical Systems Europe acquired an important patent for a prefilled syringe injecting heparin
. In 1980 BD developed its first automated system for mycobacteria testing, the BD BACTEC 460TB System. The next year brought significant signs of the company’s development as sales surpassed the $1 billion milestone and a new plant in Plymouth
, England
was constructed to serve the European markets. Five years later BD moved its corporate headquarters to Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
(current HQ location
.) Also in 1986, BD acquired Fabersanitas Industrial, a major Spanish syringe manufacturer as well as Deseret Medical, a vascular
access devices manufacturer. The last three years of the 1980s also showed growth in Asia (manufacturing facilities in Singapore
and Japan
.) Furthermore, BD became the first company to introduce a safety-engineered syringe — BD Safety-Lok (1988) and acquired the Beaver Blade Company, a manufacturer of high-quality surgical blades. The first half of the next decade was very important to BD’s development. The company opened a central distribution center in Temse
, Belgium
(1992) and entered India
and China
(1995.) BD also introduced a device that offered needle stick protection following blood-drawing
procedures — BD Vacutainer Safety-Lok Blood Collection Set.
. Numerous independent brand names were replaced by a single name: BD. In addition, the company symbol that is used today was introduced. BD also named Edward J. Ludwig as the company’s president
. Ludwig was also named Chief Executive Officer
(2000) and Chairman of the Board of Directors (2002.) During that time BD also got heavily involved in global health issues announcing a five-year maternal and neonatal tetanus world-wide elimination partnership with UNICEF (1999), launching the BD Safety Compliance Initiative (2000), and pledging $1 million contribution to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
(2002.) In 2003 and 2004 BD introduced several innovative products: BD FACSAria Cell Sorterthe — first entirely new instrument in the next-generation portfolio of flow cytometers (2003), BD Accuspray — a nasal drug delivery system for administering vaccines (2003), BD.id — a patient identification system designed to limit the potential for medical errors in specimen
collection (2003), and the world's first "intelligent" insulin pump
and glucose monitoring
system, a wireless system consisting of a Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm 512 Insulin Pump and Paradigm Link Blood Glucose Monitor, co-developed with BD. In the beginning of the 21st century BD also invested in growing its business by acquiring several strategically important companies. In 2001 it acquired the Gentest Corporation, a leading in drug metabolism and toxicology testing company. In 2004 BD completed the acquisition of Atto Bioscience Acquired, a company specializing in optical instrumentation, software, and reagents for real-time analysis of interactions taking place in living cells
. In 2005 BD entered the field of proteomics
through its acquisition of FFE Weber GmbH, which specialized in the separation
and fractionation
of complex proteins. 2006 was also important to BD growth as the company acquired GeneOhm Sciences — a leader in the development of molecular diagnostic testing for the rapid detection of bacterial organisms and TriPath Imaging —a cancer
diagnostics company.
and syringes, intravenous catheters, safety-engineered and auto-disable devices, prefillable drug delivery systems, prefilled IV flush syringes, insulin syringes and pen needles, regional anesthesia needles and trays, surgical blades and scalpels, ophthalmic
surgical instruments
, and critical care products. This segment primarily sells to: hospitals and clinics, physicians' office practices, consumers and retail pharmacies, governmental and nonprofit public health agencies, pharmaceutical companies
, and healthcare workers.
collection, safety-engineered blood collection products and systems, automated blood culturing
systems, molecular testing systems for sexually transmitted diseases and HAIs, microorganism identification and drug susceptibility systems, liquid-based cytology
systems for cervical cancer screening, rapid diagnostic assays, and plated media. Customers of this division include: hospitals, laboratories and clinics, reference laboratories, blood banks, healthcare workers, public health agencies, physicians’ office practices, and industrial and food microbiology laboratories.
antibodies and kits for cell analysis, reagent systems for life science research, cell imaging systems, laboratory products for tissue culture and fluid handling, and cell culture media supplements for biopharmaceutical
manufacturing. BD Biosciences serves the following customers: research and clinical laboratories, academic and government institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies, hospitals, and blood banks.
, U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
, Stop TB Partnership
, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Americares
, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics
, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
, Project Hope
, Direct Relief International
Accordia Global Health Foundation, Columbia University
, and University of Virginia
.
2009 Green Rankings ranking of the 500 largest American corporations based on environmental performance, policies and reputation. BD placed third in the Healthcare sector and 83rd overall. In addition, BD has been a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the four and five consecutive years, respectively.
numbered 0607186 was withdrawn from hospitals and other medical
services around Poland
, about half a year after the discovery of
remains of dark dust in some syringes which were alleged
to have been from this series.
that other series such as 06022444, 0603266 and 0607297 were also
suspected of being contaminated. BD recalled and tested the syringes in question, and revealed sterile particulates in 0.013 percent of the products. Legal proceedings related to the incident started in December 2006. According to an article published in Dziennik on Monday, 21 April 2008, the prosecutor’s office in Lublin discontinued the inquiry because the disposable syringes were not dangerous.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered
Becton, Dickinson and Company headquarters
The Becton, Dickinson and Company Corporate Headquarters is a corporate campus in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Built between 1986 and 1992, the buildings serve as the corporate and divisional headquarters of the Becton, Dickinson medical technology company...
in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,590. As of the 2000 Census, Franklin Lakes had the 18th-highest per-capita income of all 566 municipalities in the state. Nationwide, Franklin Lakes ranked 17th among the...
, BD does business in nearly 50 countries and has 28,803 employees worldwide. In fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, 60% of BD sales were generated from non-U.S. markets.
The company's customers include healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. BD was one of the first companies to sell U.S.-made glass syringes. It was also a pioneer in the production of hypodermic needles. Today, BD is divided into three segments: BD Medical, BD Diagnostics and BD Biosciences. BD was ranked 347 and 312, respectively, in the 2009 and 2010 Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
list.
1897–1947
BD was founded in 1897 by Maxwell W. BectonMaxwell Becton
Maxwell W. Becton co-founded Becton Dickinson in 1897 with Fairleigh S. Dickinson.-Biography:Born in Kinston, North Carolina, Becton moved to Rutherford, New Jersey, where his company was based, and died there in his home in 1951.Becton is interred at Hillside Cemetery in Lyndhurst, New...
and Fairleigh S. Dickinson
Fairleigh S. Dickinson
Colonel Fairleigh S. Dickinson was the co-founder of the medical technology company Becton Dickinson and the named benefactor of Fairleigh Dickinson University.-Biography:...
, two American businessmen who met on a sales trip. The same year the company made its first sale, a Luer-all-glass syringe
Syringe
A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...
that sold for $2.50. In 1898 BD acquired its first patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
for a medical product. In 1899 the company introduced its first logo which was meant to symbolize guaranteed superior quality of the products provided by BD. In 1904 BD acquired the Philadelphia Surgical Company. This very first acquisition and other early acquisitions significantly expanded the company’s manufacturing ability and product offering. Two years later BD incorporated in the State of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and built a manufacturing facility in East Rutherford, the first in the U.S. created specifically for the production of thermometer
Thermometer
Developed during the 16th and 17th centuries, a thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles. A thermometer has two important elements: the temperature sensor Developed during the 16th and 17th centuries, a thermometer (from the...
s, hypodermic needles, and syringes. In 1924 BD manufactured its first syringe designed specifically for insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
injection. One year later BD introduced the BD Yale Luer-Lok Syringe, designed and patented by Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Sr. It provided a simple and secure method of attaching and removing the needle to and from the syringe. Today, luer lock connectors are the standard for syringes in the U.S. In 1947 Joseph Kleiner developed the Evacutainer — a device used to draw blood by vacuum through a needle into a test tube. This product eventually evolved to become the BD Vacutainer
Vacutainer
Vacutainer is a brand of test tubes specifically designed for venipuncture, which was developed in 1947 by Joseph Kleiner.In phlebotomy the word “vacutainer” has come to be used as a genericized trademark to describe any vacuum-based blood collection vial, regardless of brand. Becton Dickinson...
Blood Collection system.
1948–1970
In 1948 BD faced new leadership as Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr.Fairleigh Dickinson, Jr.
Fairleigh Stanton Dickinson Jr. was an American Republican Party politician who served as a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1968 to 1971.He was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, the son of Fairleigh S...
and Henry P. Becton, sons of the founders, took over the company. Their 24-year tenure was a time of rapid development for BD. The company grew within the U.S. as well as internationally. In 1949 it opened its first manufacturing site outside of New Jersey in Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. In 1961 it established a manufacturing facility in Canaan
Canaan, Connecticut
Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal constituent village, Falls Village.-Geography:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. BD also soon expanded to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(1951), Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1952), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1955), and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(1956). The tenure of Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. and Henry P. Becton was also a time of significant product innovation. In 1950 BD's first sterile disposable product, a blood collection set, was developed and sold to the American Red Cross. In 1954 BD introduced the first completely disposable syringe made of glass: BD Hypak. This innovative product was used in a large-scale field test of the polio vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
developed by Dr. Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk
Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist, best known for his discovery and development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine. He was born in New York City to parents from Ashkenazi Jewish Russian immigrant families...
. One year later, BD entered the microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
field through the acquisition of the Baltimore Biological Laboratory. In 1961 the company introduced its disposable BD Plastipak syringe. Under the new leadership the company also went public (1962) and was appeared for the first time in the Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
list (1970).
1973–1995
In 1973 BD added another U.S. facility —a research center in Durham, North CarolinaDurham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
in Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
. The center was established to help the company meet United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) requirements, research improved manufacturing and process methods, and develop future innovative technologies. In 1975 BD Pharmaceutical Systems Europe acquired an important patent for a prefilled syringe injecting heparin
Heparin
Heparin , also known as unfractionated heparin, a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan, is widely used as an injectable anticoagulant, and has the highest negative charge density of any known biological molecule...
. In 1980 BD developed its first automated system for mycobacteria testing, the BD BACTEC 460TB System. The next year brought significant signs of the company’s development as sales surpassed the $1 billion milestone and a new plant in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was constructed to serve the European markets. Five years later BD moved its corporate headquarters to Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(current HQ location
Becton, Dickinson and Company headquarters
The Becton, Dickinson and Company Corporate Headquarters is a corporate campus in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Built between 1986 and 1992, the buildings serve as the corporate and divisional headquarters of the Becton, Dickinson medical technology company...
.) Also in 1986, BD acquired Fabersanitas Industrial, a major Spanish syringe manufacturer as well as Deseret Medical, a vascular
Vascular
Vascular in zoology and medicine means "related to blood vessels", which are part of the circulatory system. An organ or tissue that is vascularized is heavily endowed with blood vessels and thus richly supplied with blood....
access devices manufacturer. The last three years of the 1980s also showed growth in Asia (manufacturing facilities in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.) Furthermore, BD became the first company to introduce a safety-engineered syringe — BD Safety-Lok (1988) and acquired the Beaver Blade Company, a manufacturer of high-quality surgical blades. The first half of the next decade was very important to BD’s development. The company opened a central distribution center in Temse
Temse
Temse is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Elversele, Steendorp, Temse proper and Tielrode. On January 1, 2006 Temse had a total population of 26,287...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(1992) and entered India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(1995.) BD also introduced a device that offered needle stick protection following blood-drawing
Venipuncture
In medicine, venepuncture, venopuncture or venipuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of intravenous therapy or for blood sampling of venous blood. This procedure is performed by medical laboratory scientists, medical practitioners, some EMTs, paramedics,...
procedures — BD Vacutainer Safety-Lok Blood Collection Set.
1999–2006
In 1999, as BD passed more than 100 years of presence in the medical devices industry, BD announced its new corporate identityCorporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
. Numerous independent brand names were replaced by a single name: BD. In addition, the company symbol that is used today was introduced. BD also named Edward J. Ludwig as the company’s president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
. Ludwig was also named Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
(2000) and Chairman of the Board of Directors (2002.) During that time BD also got heavily involved in global health issues announcing a five-year maternal and neonatal tetanus world-wide elimination partnership with UNICEF (1999), launching the BD Safety Compliance Initiative (2000), and pledging $1 million contribution to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is a global not-for-profit, public-private partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. IAVI researches and develops vaccine candidates, conducts policy analyses, serves as an advocate for the field and...
(2002.) In 2003 and 2004 BD introduced several innovative products: BD FACSAria Cell Sorterthe — first entirely new instrument in the next-generation portfolio of flow cytometers (2003), BD Accuspray — a nasal drug delivery system for administering vaccines (2003), BD.id — a patient identification system designed to limit the potential for medical errors in specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
collection (2003), and the world's first "intelligent" insulin pump
Insulin pump
The insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy.The device includes:...
and glucose monitoring
Blood glucose monitoring
Blood glucose monitoring is a way of testing the concentration of glucose in the blood . Particularly important in the care of diabetes mellitus, a blood glucose test is performed by piercing the skin to draw blood, then applying the blood to a chemically active disposable 'test-strip'...
system, a wireless system consisting of a Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm 512 Insulin Pump and Paradigm Link Blood Glucose Monitor, co-developed with BD. In the beginning of the 21st century BD also invested in growing its business by acquiring several strategically important companies. In 2001 it acquired the Gentest Corporation, a leading in drug metabolism and toxicology testing company. In 2004 BD completed the acquisition of Atto Bioscience Acquired, a company specializing in optical instrumentation, software, and reagents for real-time analysis of interactions taking place in living cells
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
. In 2005 BD entered the field of proteomics
Proteomics
Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological metabolic pathways of cells. The term "proteomics" was first coined in 1997 to make an analogy with...
through its acquisition of FFE Weber GmbH, which specialized in the separation
Separation
Separation may refer to:* Separation , the process by which a service member leaves active duty* Separation , rules to minimise the risk of collision between aircraft in flight...
and fractionation
Fractionation
See also: Fractionated spacecraftFractionation is a separation process in which a certain quantity of a mixture is divided up in a number of smaller quantities in which the composition changes according to a gradient. Fractions are collected based on differences in a specific property of the...
of complex proteins. 2006 was also important to BD growth as the company acquired GeneOhm Sciences — a leader in the development of molecular diagnostic testing for the rapid detection of bacterial organisms and TriPath Imaging —a cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
diagnostics company.
Business segments
Becton Dickinson is divided into three business segments: BD Medical (52% of FY 09 revenues) BD Diagnostics (31% of FY 09 revenues), and BD Biosciences (17% of FY 09 revenues.)BD Medical
The BD Medical segment consists of four divisions: Medical Surgical Systems, Pharmaceutical Systems, and Diabetes Care. The products of this segment include: needlesHypodermic needle
A hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...
and syringes, intravenous catheters, safety-engineered and auto-disable devices, prefillable drug delivery systems, prefilled IV flush syringes, insulin syringes and pen needles, regional anesthesia needles and trays, surgical blades and scalpels, ophthalmic
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
surgical instruments
Surgical instruments
A surgical instrument is a specially designed tool or device for performing specific actions of carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of surgical instruments and tools...
, and critical care products. This segment primarily sells to: hospitals and clinics, physicians' office practices, consumers and retail pharmacies, governmental and nonprofit public health agencies, pharmaceutical companies
Pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to deal in generic and/or brand medications and medical devices...
, and healthcare workers.
BD Diagnostics
BD Diagnostics is divided into Preanalytical Systems and Diagnostic Systems. BD Diagnostics specializes in the design, production and sales of the following products: integrated systems for specimenSpecimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
collection, safety-engineered blood collection products and systems, automated blood culturing
Blood culture
Blood culture is a microbiological culture of blood. It is employed to detect infections that are spreading through the bloodstream...
systems, molecular testing systems for sexually transmitted diseases and HAIs, microorganism identification and drug susceptibility systems, liquid-based cytology
Cytology
Cytology means "the study of cells".Cytology is that branch of life science, which deals with the study of cells in terms of structure, function and chemistry.Based on usage it can refer to:...
systems for cervical cancer screening, rapid diagnostic assays, and plated media. Customers of this division include: hospitals, laboratories and clinics, reference laboratories, blood banks, healthcare workers, public health agencies, physicians’ office practices, and industrial and food microbiology laboratories.
BD Biosciences
BD Biosciences consists of the Cell Analysis and Discovery Labware units. BD Biosciences designs, manufactures, and sells: fluorescence-activated cell sorters and analyzers, monoclonalMonoclonal
Monoclonal cells are defined as a group of cells produced from a single ancestral cell by repeated cellular replication. Thus they can be said to form a single "clone". The process of replication can occur in vivo, or may be stimulated in vitro for laboratory manipulations...
antibodies and kits for cell analysis, reagent systems for life science research, cell imaging systems, laboratory products for tissue culture and fluid handling, and cell culture media supplements for biopharmaceutical
Biopharmaceutical
Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs produced using biotechnology. They include proteins , nucleic acids and living microorganisms like virus and bacteria where the virulence of viruses and bacteria is reduced by the process of attenuation, they can be used for therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic...
manufacturing. BD Biosciences serves the following customers: research and clinical laboratories, academic and government institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
companies, hospitals, and blood banks.
Social responsibility
As a large global company in the healthcare industry, BD has the potential to affect the health and life of many people around the world.Philanthropic and charitable efforts
BD has actively donated cash, product and expertise to non-profit and educational organizations worldwide. In recent years, it formed philanthropic and charitable partnerships with the following organizations: UNICEF, American Red CrossAmerican Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief
The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief was a commitment of $15 billion over five years from United States President George W. Bush to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic...
, Stop TB Partnership
Stop TB Partnership
The Stop TB Partnership was established in 2000 to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem. Its 1000 partner organizations include international, nongovernmental and governmental organizations and patient groups...
, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Americares
AmeriCares
AmeriCares is a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs and supporting long-term health care initiatives for people in the United States and around the world. Since its founding in 1982, AmeriCares has provided more than...
, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is a global not-for-profit, public-private partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. IAVI researches and develops vaccine candidates, conducts policy analyses, serves as an advocate for the field and...
, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics
FIND 501 is a non-profit foundation that develops and implements new diagnostic tests for infectious and neglected diseases in developing countries...
, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Driven by volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research...
, Project Hope
Project HOPE (USA)
Project HOPE is an international health care organization founded in the United States in 1958. Its most visible aspect was the SS HOPE, the first peacetime hospital ship...
, Direct Relief International
Direct Relief International
Direct Relief International is a nonprofit organization based in Santa Barbara, California that focuses on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide...
Accordia Global Health Foundation, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Environmental track record
As of February 2010, BD was ranked 18th in the EPA Fortune 500 List of Green Power Purchasers. BD was also listed among the top 100 companies in Newsweek’sNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
2009 Green Rankings ranking of the 500 largest American corporations based on environmental performance, policies and reputation. BD placed third in the Healthcare sector and 83rd overall. In addition, BD has been a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Launched in September 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are a family of indexes evaluating the performance of the world’s leaders in sustainability. They are the longest-running global sustainability benchmarks worldwide and have become the key reference point in Sustainability Investing...
and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the four and five consecutive years, respectively.
2007 Discardit II incident in Poland
In mid-2007, the firm's Discardit II series of syringesnumbered 0607186 was withdrawn from hospitals and other medical
services around Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, about half a year after the discovery of
remains of dark dust in some syringes which were alleged
to have been from this series.
that other series such as 06022444, 0603266 and 0607297 were also
suspected of being contaminated. BD recalled and tested the syringes in question, and revealed sterile particulates in 0.013 percent of the products. Legal proceedings related to the incident started in December 2006. According to an article published in Dziennik on Monday, 21 April 2008, the prosecutor’s office in Lublin discontinued the inquiry because the disposable syringes were not dangerous.
2010 Q-Syte Luer and IV Catheter partial recall
In February 2010 BD announced a voluntary product recall of certain lots of BD Q-Syte Luer Access Devices and BD Nexiva Closed IV Catheter Systems. BD stated that the use of the affected devices may cause an air embolism or leakage of blood and/or therapy, which may result in serious injury or death. The approximately 2.8 million BD Q-Syte and 2.9 million BD Nexiva units containing 5 million BD Q-Syte devices that were recalled were distributed in the United States, Asia, Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, South Africa and South America. The recall was initiated on Oct. 28, 2009 after BD received complaints of problems due to air entry through a part of the device. BD stated that the cause of the problem was manufacturing deviation and claimed that it corrected the problem. BD announced that it notified customers about the recall by letter and has been working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and worldwide health agencies to coordinate recall activities.See also
- Becton, Dickinson and Company headquartersBecton, Dickinson and Company headquartersThe Becton, Dickinson and Company Corporate Headquarters is a corporate campus in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Built between 1986 and 1992, the buildings serve as the corporate and divisional headquarters of the Becton, Dickinson medical technology company...