THOR

Thoratec Corp

A maker of mechanical heart pumps, the company built the HeartMate line of ventricular assist devices that help failing hearts pump blood, keeping patients alive while they wait for a heart transplant. Incorporated in California in 1976, its name blends "thoracic" and "technology." The technology's roots reach back to the 1960s space race, when surgeons argued for an artificial heart partly for travelers on long space journeys. Acquired by St. Jude Medical in 2015, the technology later passed to Abbott.