Canadian Regulators Approve Cardiac Science’s Powerheart

More defibrillator developments: Cardiac Science Inc. of Irvine has won Canadian regulatory approval for the Powerheart, a defibrillator worn by hospital patients to monitor heart rates and deliver jolts during cardiac arrest.

With a population of about 30 million, Canada is a good market for Cardiac, Chief Executive Raymond W. Cohen said.

The Powerheart is now available in 32 countries, including the Czech Republic and Australia. Cardiac hopes to double sales for the device this year to more than $8 million, Cohen said.

Whereas many other countries automatically green-light devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Canada has its own sometimes lengthy regulatory process, he said.

Cardiac has moved aggressively into new fields. It has deals pending to acquire two businesses, including Minneapolis-based Survivalink Corp., the No. 3 manufacturer of portable defibrillators.

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Marc Ballon covers the biomedical and biotechnology industry for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7439 and at marc.ballon@latimes.com.