Addition of Trending and Invasive Pressure Monitoring Make Medtronic LIFEPAK 12 Defibrillator the World's Most Comprehensive.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 2001

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), today announced clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of new features for the Medtronic Physio-Control LIFEPAK(R) 12 external defibrillator/monitor that will make it the most comprehensive such device on the market.

The compact, portable, therapeutic and diagnostic LIFEPAK 12 product used by trained emergency responders and medical personnel will now offer two new trending capabilities as well as invasive pressure monitoring. The new monitoring capabilities, coupled with defibrillation therapy, facilitates increased efficiency by allowing caregivers to carry a single device, instead of a separate defibrillator and a multi-parameter monitor during transport of critical care patients. Use of a single device also reduces training requirements.

Trending of vital signs such as heart rate, respiration and blood pressure over time produces a record to aid in therapeutic decisions and in evaluating the patient's response to drug treatment. Trending of the electrocardiogram's ST segment displacement changes - compared to the patient's baseline ST segment position - is useful for patients who may be at risk for ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart muscle) that can cause heart injury or myocardial infarction. Such trending facilitates the clinician's early identification of trouble, assists in risk stratification, and relays information about the effectiveness of pharmacologic or other invasive therapies, such as thrombolytic drugs or angioplasty.

Invasive pressure monitoring is commonly used in hospital critical care units. The presence of an invasive pressure line in a device such as the LIFEPAK 12 product can be a time saver if the patient's condition suddenly worsens, rendering noninvasive measures inadequate or unreliable.

"Customers tell us that the ability to monitor invasive pressure in a compact theraupeutic device will greatly benefit a certain percentage of patients, and trending has never before been offered in a defibrillator/monitor," noted Richard O. Martin, president, Medtronic Physio-Control. "These significant incremental improvements will make the LIFEPAK 12 product the first defibrillator/monitor available in the United States with its comprehensive menu of features, and we are confident that it will become the clear choice of emergency personnel who are managing cases requiring reliable information for critical judgments."

The LIFEPAK 12 product may be customized to the buyer's specifications, with choices of biphasic and monophasic fibrillation waveforms, automated and manual operation modes and multiple options such as noninvasive pacing, pulse oximetry, 12-lead electrocardiography, capnography and noninvasive pressure monitoring. Current users of LIFEPAK 12 systems will be offered the new trending capabilities as software upgrades.

Medtronic Physio-Control, headquartered in Redmond, WA, is a unit of Medtronic, Inc. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Medtronic, Inc., is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Its Internet address is www.medtronic.com. Further information is available at www.aedhelp.com.

Any statements made regarding the company's anticipated financial results and regulatory approvals are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended April 30, 2000. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.