COSMOS Helps Global Medical Equipment Industry Put Cutting-Edge Technology on the Market Quickly.

CONCORD, Mass. -- More than 500 medical technology companies use design analysis software to reduce time to market and overhead costs while meeting health and safety regulations

Medical companies around the world developing equipment ranging from simple catheters to laser surgical systems use COSMOS(TM) design analysis software to bring new designs to market quickly while slashing testing and prototyping costs, SolidWorks announced today.

More than 500 companies in North American, European, African, and Asian countries use COSMOS software in their design processes. COSMOS users design and test devices such as X-ray equipment, dental implants, heart valves, insulin pumps, blood transfusion equipment, centrifuges, ultrasound scanners, and surgical instruments. Tightly integrated with SolidWorks(R) 3D mechanical design software, COSMOS enables engineers to test their designs without switching applications or re-entering information. Infusing design analysis into the development process also improves product quality while reducing expenses and time to market. It helps medical technology companies design new products with no flaws, incorporate new technology into existing products, modify designs to reduce material costs, and react quickly to changes in government regulations.

UK-based medical device manufacturer KeyMed uses SolidWorks and COSMOSWorks(TM) to design endoscopy systems, vacuum pumps, sterilization cases, ultrasonic cleaners, and wheeled trollies. COSMOSWorks helps KeyMed determine how its designs will stand up to hard use and perform under real-world conditions.

"Our equipment ends up rushing through hospital corridors, banging through swinging doors and working alongside devices that produce vibrations and other interference," said Ian Hallett, KeyMed's medical research and development manager. "COSMOSWorks lets us anticipate the effect those conditions will have on our designs so we can modify them before we build physical prototypes. That cuts our costs because we need fewer prototypes, and it gets our new product to market faster because our remaining prototypes are more accurate than they were before we started using COSMOS."

For example, COSMOSWorks recently helped KeyMed optimize the design for a jointed keyboard arm. KeyMed used COSMOSWorks to determine the arm's deflection under direct load and twist, which enabled KeyMed to keep material use as low as possible while making the design visually attractive. On the same product, KeyMed analyzed the moulded top tray onto which equipment is mounted to confirm that the reinforcing ribs were located at the right load points. In both cases, COSMOSWorks helped KeyMed ensure the component designs were valid before the company committed to developing production tools, avoiding expensive re-tooling if flaws were discovered after production began.

KeyMed works with SolidWorks reseller NT CADCAM for ongoing software implementation, training, and support.

Comprehensive product offering

COSMOS products enable companies to test every element of a design, from enclosures and mechanical parts to electronic components, airflows, and heat transfers at any phase of the design process. The COSMOS product group includes:

--COSMOSWorks, a virtual testing application that shows engineers how their designs will behave as physical objects by testing factors such as material stress and heat conduction.

--COSMOSMotion(TM), a virtual prototyping application that simulates a design's mechanical operation of moving parts.

--COSMOSFloWorks(TM), a fluid dynamics application that simulates the flow of fluids, gasses, and heat through and around designs for products ranging from respirators to X-ray machines.

"Medical technology companies face extraordinary market pressures to keep their products up to date and get them on the market quickly. At the same time they have to comply with strict health and safety regulations in every international market in which they compete," said Suchit Jain, vice president of analysis products at SolidWorks. "COSMOS eases some of that pressure by giving designers more certainty at every step that their designs will work as products without resorting to prototypes."

About KeyMed

KeyMed is one of the principal business centers of the Olympus Optical Co. Ltd. of Japan and since its formation in 1969, has established a worldwide reputation as a leading supplier of specialist optical and electronic products to both medicine and industry. KeyMed is now one of Britain's largest medical companies, having core technology in optics, electronics, thermo-plastics, and precision mechanics. The company researches, develops, and manufactures products within its own facilities, with the largest export markets being Japan and America. For more information, visit www.keymed.co.uk.

About NT CADCAM

NT CADCAM has offices in five locations across the UK and Ireland, and has in-house expertise in the fields of FEA, CAM, PDM, ERP, and the integration of all these disciplines. A SolidWorks Solution Partner, NT CADCAM provides complete end-to-end design and manufacturing solutions by offering SolidWorks software. Supporting a wide range of SolidWorks Gold Partner and Solution Partner products, NT CADCAM provides organizations with a total solution, including support, training, consulting services, and API programming. For more information, visit the Web site at www.ntcadcam.co.uk.

About SolidWorks Corporation

SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) company, develops and markets software for mechanical design, analysis, and product data management. It is the #1 supplier of 3D mechanical design software for the mainstream market. SolidWorks leads the market in number of users in production, customer satisfaction, and revenue. For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company's Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call [phone]).

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. COSMOS, COSMOSMotion, COSMOSWorks, and COSMOSFloWorks are trademarks of Structural Research and Analysis Corporation. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.Copyright (c) 2004 SolidWorks Corporation.