ALARIS Medical Systems Incorporates Drug Modeling Into New Syringe Pump.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2004

Asena(R) PK Syringe Pump Assists Trend towards IV Anesthesia In

Europe

ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE:AMI) announced today it has introduced in Europe a next-generation syringe pump featuring a stand-alone design and embedded software incorporating drug models for intravenous (IV) anesthesia. The new Asena(R) PK Syringe Pump was reviewed enthusiastically by more than 10,000 anesthesiologists recently gathered in Paris for a World Congress. The pump's compact design enables it to be moved easily among a hospital's pre-operative units, operating rooms and post-operative settings while remaining connected to a patient. This feature safeguards against the loss of vital patient data and, combined with the embedded software drug models, helps assure the safe, precise delivery of anesthesia drugs.

The Asena(R) PK Syringe Pump software, which includes pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling for three widely used anesthesia drugs, was developed in collaboration with Professor Michel Struys of the Department of Anesthesia, Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium, and with Tom De Smet of DEMED engineering in Temse, Belgium. These two individuals pioneered the development of RUGLOOP II, a modular software program for medical research that served as the foundation for the calculation engine in the Asena(R) PK Syringe Pump. These models are drug-specific and use parameters entered for a particular patient, such as age and weight, to facilitate the safe and convenient administration of anesthesia drugs.

Frederic Denerolle, Vice President of ALARIS Medical Systems and General Manager of the Company's international business unit, commented on the importance of the new Asena(R) PK Syringe Pump by saying, "We are very gratified by the high level of interest shown in this product. The introduction will lead to an expanded presence for ALARIS Medical Systems in operating rooms throughout Europe and other markets outside the U.S. and extends the unmatched convenience and critical safety features of the Asena(R) Medication Safety System's platform into the anesthesia arena."

An invited speaker during the Paris Congress and a noted medical authority, Professor Struys said today, "Intravenous anesthesia drugs have gained considerable professional acceptance in recent years and their increasing usage is being facilitated by the advent of new agents with short-acting and non-cumulative profiles. IV anesthesia also stands to benefit from the strides being made in the accuracy, precision and easy mobility of infusion devices, as represented by the Asena(R) line from ALARIS Medical Systems." He concluded by saying, "I am very pleased to see our collaboration with ALARIS Medical Systems is quickly leading to tangible benefits for clinicians and surgical patients throughout Europe."

About ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc.

ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: AMI) develops and markets products for the safe delivery of intravenous (IV) medications. Our IV medication and infusion therapy delivery systems, software applications, needle-free disposables and related monitoring equipment are marketed in the United States and internationally. Our "smart" pumps, with the proprietary Guardrails(R) Safety Software, help to reduce the risks and costs of medication errors, help to safeguard patients and clinicians and gather and record clinical information for review, analysis and interpretation. We provide our products, professional and technical support and training services to over 5,000 hospital and health care systems, as well as alternative care sites, in over 100 countries through our direct sales force and distributors. Headquartered in San Diego, California, we employ approximately 3,000 people worldwide. Additional information on ALARIS Medical Systems can be found at http://www.alarismed.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Persons reading this release are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the effect of legislative and regulatory changes affecting the health care industry, the historic seasonality of the Company's sales, the long sales cycle on large capital equipment sales in North America, the difficulty to precisely predict when hospital capital budgets will permit investment in capital equipment, the potential of increased levels of competition, technological changes, the dependence of ALARIS Medical Systems upon the success of new products (including its proprietary Guardrails(R) Safety Software, the Medley(TM) Medication Safety System and the Asena(R) infusion platform) and ongoing research and development efforts including obtaining regulatory approvals, restrictions contained in the instruments governing the Company's indebtedness, and the significant leverage to which the Company is subject. These and other risk factors are described in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc., formerly known as ALARIS Medical, Inc., including Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2003, and other filings. On June 30, 2003, the two companies were merged. Subsequent SEC filings are available only for ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.