Heraeus Medical Components, the White Bear Lake-based medical device outsourcing arm of German manufacturing conglomerate Heraeus, is acquiring a contact manufacturer in St. Paul known for its expertise in neuromodulation.

Privately held Heraeus didn't disclose the price it agreed to pay to acquire Evergreen Medical Technologies, and its subsidiary PhysioTest, in the deal announcement Wednesday.

Neuromodulation is a medical device therapy in which implantable machines use electricity or drugs to interact directly with the nervous system.

The therapy is commonly used to disrupt pain signals — an increasingly important product category in a time when regulators and doctors are trying to decrease long-term use of addictive opioid drugs. But it also has applications in treating Parkinson's disease, incontinence and vascular disorders, according to the International Neuromodulation Society.

"With over 600 diseases of the nervous system, neuromodulation will be an increasingly important treatment option to improve patients' quality of life," Heraeus Medical Components President Nicolas Guggenheim said in the deal announcement.

"We continue to expand our capabilities in neuromodulation to support our medical device customers, and with this acquisition we will enable our customers to accelerate innovation in this therapy area."

Evergreen Medical Technologies provides design and development capabilities, precision engineering and clinical insights to support medical device manufacturers for a range of different products, including implantable leads and stimulation devices, the news release said.

The deal will combine those capabilities with Heraeus' high-volume global manufacturing and distribution expertise.

Joe Carlson • 612-673-4779