San Diego-based medical supply manufacturer CareFusion is purchasing Vital Signs Devices, a subsidiary of GE Healthcare, for $500 million, the company announced Monday.

CareFusion's acquisition of Vital Signs, which produces anesthesia face masks and breathing circuits, laryngoscopes and lighted stylets, nasal cannulas and ECG electrodes, among other products, expands CareFusion's role in the market from distributor to vertically integrated manufacturer of single-use respiratory, anesthesia and temperature management supplies.

The company expects to finalize the transaction in the U.S. by year's end, pending regulators' approval.

David Bernard