Carag Milestones >>
Step by step into the future.


From a trading company to a high-tech medical research company.

In May 1999, Michael Larsson takes over the former trading company Carag AG and turns it into an engineering office. He focusses the company on the complicated development work within the medical technology sector. The collaboration with pediatric cardiologist Dr. Laszlo Solymar from the University of Gothenburg, which has already existed for some months, is intensified. His idea of an implant for the percutaneous transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects is developed further within the small team, and is given the name "Solysafe".

In April 2005, the first clinical application of a Solysafe implant takes place at the University Children’s Hospital in Gothenburg.

In January 2006, Carag CEO Michael Larsson and his 13 employees receive the certificates according to ISO 9001:2000 and EN ISO 13485:2003 for the quality management system of medical products development.

In February 2007, the Solysafe Septal Occluder developed by Carag AG receives European approval and will now be manufactured and marketed by the company Swissimplant AG.

In May 2007, Michael Larsson hands over the company management of Carag, which has grown to 19 employees in the meantime, to Jérôme Bernhard. Michael Larsson remains on the board of directors.

In November 2007, the Septal Occluder developed by Carag is awarded the "InnoPrix SoBa 2007".

More sizes of the Septal Occluder are approved in May 2008. It is now approved almost everywhere in the world except North America.

In conjunction leading cardiologists, the work on developing a new implant which is degradable in structure but has the same benefits is intensified.


Further developments set new accents

With its innovative heart implant, Carag has shown the way forward when it comes to minimally-invasive treatment of major heart defects. Its passion for people and technology resulted in additional, and often ground-breaking developments in 2008.

In the field of optical spectroscopy, the miniature spectrometer represents a successful breakthrough in miniaturisation, making very new, and nevertheless affordable application areas possible. And for the invention of a new lactation assistance device, Carag’s engineers have taken at detailed look at Nature in order to be able to provide even better advice to breast-feeding mothers and enable lactation research to develop even more optimal breast pumps.