Medtronic's SR division drives big jump in sales

Medtronic’s Santa Rosa-based vascular business continues to drive growth for the medical device maker, with a 41 percent jump in global sales of coronary vascular products during the first quarter, the company said Tuesday.

Companywide, Medtronic posted quarterly revenue of $3.7 billion, 19 percent over the same period last year.

“On the whole, the broad med-tech market continues to show solid growth, particularly when compared to other segments of the economy,” Medtronic CEO Bill Hawkins told Wall Street analysts.

Earlier this year, Medtronic began selling its next-generation Endeavor drug-coated stent in the United States. The device, which was developed in Santa Rosa, is a tiny mesh tube that props open arteries after they’ve been cleared of plaque. The drug coating prevents arteries from re-clogging and blocking blood flow.

Endeavor has captured about 20 percent of the U.S. market for such technology.

Medtronic has about 1,200 employees in Santa Rosa.