On May 29, 1956, Physio-Control was incorporated by Dr. K. William Edmark, a Seattle cardiovascular surgeon, who was determined to reduce the number of sudden deaths during cardiac surgery. Physio’s products are used primarily for emergency treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Events.

In 1980, the company was acquired by Eli Lilly for an undisclosed price. In 2011, Lilly sold the company to Medtronic for $487 million, and in 2011 Medtronic divested Physio to Bain Capital in a cash transaction valued at $487 million. In 2016, Physio was acquired by Michigan-based Stryker Corp. in an all cash transaction for $1.28 billion.