Merit Sensor Systems, part of the Merit Medical Systems family, has established itself as a trusted global leader in MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) piezoresistive pressure sensors.
These tiny but powerful components are at the heart of many Merit Medical devices, supporting industries worldwide and instilling confidence in physicians when it counts the most.
Merit Medical recently announced the retirement of its founder and longtime CEO, Fred Lampropoulos. Fred will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.
Image Credit: Merit Sensor
This step down signals a turning point in Merit’s story, as the company transitions from founder-led to founder-inspired. This change is an appropriate time to reflect on the vision, drive, and leadership that turned Merit Medical and Merit Sensor into the great organizations they are today.
Where it All Began: From an Idea to Reality
Fred's entrepreneurial journey began with a simple but important idea: making disposable syringes safer and stronger.
Medit Medical was launched from this thought in 1987 in Murray, Utah, and the company's first syringe was on the market within a year.
That single innovation served as the cornerstone for a portfolio that has now evolved to include over 2000 proprietary medical devices, which are used every day in interventional, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures worldwide.
"The Merit Way" was core to Fred's leadership; a philosophy based on vertical integration, reinvention, and, most importantly, a commitment to improving patient outcomes.
Merit has now grown to employ over 7000 people worldwide, with a multinational sales and clinical staff dedicated to ensuring products reach physicians and hospitals wherever needed.
The Birth of Merit Sensor
After this initial success, Fred founded Sentir Semiconductor in 1991, which was another significant milestone in his career. He aimed to help fund a novel angioplasty inflation device with enhanced pressure-sensing technology. Sentir's first pressure sensor went into production in 1993, and just four years later, annual sales surpassed one million units.
Merit Medical acquired the company in 1999, and it was officially renamed Merit Sensor Systems in 2002.
Two years later, a new wafer fabrication facility in Salt Lake City, with a cutting-edge ISO 5 cleanroom, was finished. Merit Sensor achieved a competitive advantage by managing its own sensor production and calibration, allowing it to provide dependable, scalable, and flexible solutions to industries worldwide.
Today, such sensors are used in a variety of applications including aircraft, transportation, industrial systems, and consumer electronics, in addition to Merit Medical equipment.
Wherever precision, dependability, and safety are required, Merit’s sensors are trusted to deliver.
Pressure Sensors: The Sentinels within Life-Saving Devices
Merit Sensor technology is fundamental to several of Merit Medical's hallmark products. The DiamondTOUCH™ Digital Inflation Device, used in angioplasty, and the Blue Diamond™ Digital Inflation Device, which combines digital accuracy with analog simplicity, use highly accurate pressure sensors to provide clinicians with exact control.
The MONARCH® Inflation Device, used for biliary dilatation, combines the same sensor technology with timing characteristics to improve patient safety during delicate procedures.
The Meritrans® Blood Pressure Transducers are especially noteworthy, offering dependable, configurable solutions for hospitals and labs that interact smoothly with fluid management systems.
Together, these devices demonstrate how Merit Sensor technology supports the precision, dependability, and safety physicians can rely on, and, ultimately, how patient lives are saved every day.
The Merit Way: A Culture of Excellence
Even after all these years, Fred's philosophy, The Merit Way, continues to influence Merit Sensor's culture. At its center is Merit’s H.E.A.R.T.
- Health: Prioritizing employee well-being and patient outcomes
- Excellence: Striving for the highest standards in design, production, and service
- Agility: Staying responsive to challenges and opportunities
- Responsibility: Owning the impact of the company’s work and decisions
- Teamwork: Collaborating across teams and divisions to achieve shared goals
These beliefs have propelled Merit Sensor forward and developed a culture of constant development and shared purpose.
A Legacy That Extends Beyond Business
Fred's impact extends beyond balance sheets and product lines. Drawing on the discipline he learned as a former US Army Special Forces officer, he has filed over 200 patents, received numerous industry honors (including the Utah Governor's Medal for Science and Technology), and been inducted into the Utah Business Hall of Fame over the course of his nearly four-decade career.
But his most significant legacy, and perhaps his best, is Fred’s unwavering devotion to giving back to the people.
Fred's support for education, healthcare initiatives, and community projects has had a long-term impact not only in Utah but around the world. His leadership has helped employees, shareholders, families, and patients alike.
Looking Ahead
Merit Medical and Merit Sensor will continue to prioritize continuity and stability as they begin this new chapter.
Fred will remain Chairman of the Board, while Martha Aronson has been appointed CEO and President. Fred has expressed great trust in Martha's leadership, highlighting her keen thinking, collaborative approach, and alignment with The Merit Way.
Merit Sensor is proud to continue in this spirit. The ideals that led it here: commitment, creativity, and putting people first in all it does, continue to guide it now, just as they did when Merit first started with a single syringe.
Similarly, the MEMS pressure sensors invented in Salt Lake City will continue to power life-saving gadgets, while the culture of growth and accountability ensures that fresh innovations will emerge.
Fred's impact continues to inspire staff, customers, and patients alike, and his commitment to saving lives is reflected in every Merit device.
This information has been sourced, reviewed, and adapted from materials provided by Merit Sensor.
For more information on this source, please visit Merit Sensor.