Becton Dickinson Introduces the MICROTAINER -R- Brand GENIE -TM- Lancet; A New Safety-Engineered Product to Protect Health Care Workers From Accidental Injury.

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ--(BW HealthWire)--May 12, 1999--

BD (NYSE: BDX) today announced the launch of the MICROTAINER(R) Brand GENIE(TM) lancet, a single-use capillary blood sampling device. The latest in a long line of BD products with safety-engineered features, the GENIE lancet's advanced design technology provides automatic and permanent blade retraction, minimizing the possibility of injury and reuse.

"BD is proud to add the GENIE lancet to our long line of safety-engineered products," said Richard Brajer, President, Worldwide Sample Collection at BD. "As BD continues to expand its array of safety-engineered products, we take particular pride in our ability to provide additional protection for health care workers and patients without compromising the standards of excellence in clinical performance that our customers have come to expect from BD."

Used for capillary blood sampling, a procedure commonly known as a "finger stick," the GENIE lancet offers precision, ease-of-use and enhanced protection to both clinician and patient. Each unit is entirely self-contained, with a small plastic tab protecting the sterile blade. When the protective tab is removed, the blade remains inaccessible until the user places the GENIE lancet against the puncture site on the pad of the finger; once the trigger is pressed, the sterile blade instantly punctures the skin to the required depth and springs back into its housing. The deployment and retraction of the blade occurs in a single action after which the blade is safely and permanently contained within the device. The GENIE lancet is offered in a full range of blade depths for sufficient blood volume in multiple sample requirements.

In October 1998, BD established the Advanced Protection Technology group to coordinate the development, production and marketing of all the Company's products with safety-engineered features. GENIE lancets are a key addition to this expanding array of medical devices, which now numbers over 200 products.

BD manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices, and diagnostic systems for use by health care professionals, medical research institutions, and the general public.

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