Boston Scientific did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Boston Scientific lags behind Medtronic and Edwards Lifesciences Corp in the heart valves market and has pinned its hopes on its updated Lotus device, set for launch in 2019, following the withdrawal of an earlier version from Europe last year. A deal between Stryker and Boston Scientific would be the latest in a series of large acquisitions in the industry, which has been consolidating to win market share and to package sales to hospitals, doctors and health clinics. Boston Scientific is best-known for its heart devices such as pacemakers and stents. Stryker manufactures orthopedic products such as artificial hips and knees. Combining the companies would let them wring costs out of efforts to sell products to a similar set of customers, and would give a combined firm more market power. Many of their largest competitors have already executed large takeovers in recent years.