Cardiac Pathways Announces Software Product That Provides Physicians With Advanced Mapping and Navigation Tools.

Business/Technology Editors and Health/Medical Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 6, 2000

New 3.1 Version Enhances Electrophysiologists' Ability to Map

Arrhythmias Using an Integrated Systems Approach

Cardiac Pathways Corporation, a leader in state-of-the-art 3D cardiac mapping and ablation technology (NASDAQ:CPWY), today announced the worldwide availability of an iterative software release for its Realtime Position Management (TM)(RPM) Tracking System. The software integrates mapping of the heart's electrical signals and navigation tools that will enable electrophysiologists to more easily identify and ablate abnormal electrical impulses in a patient's heart that are responsible for an arrhythmia.

The software, already in use at selected centers in the United States and Europe, is an enhancement to the company's existing RPM Tracking System. In the new 3.1 software version, non-fluoroscopic catheter navigation has been enhanced with three-dimensional mapping capability applied to a 3D heart model. The system uses an ultrasound ranging technology to accurately locate catheter positions within the heart, render 3D graphical representations of the catheters and of their positions with respect to the heart wall, and view electrical sensing data (mapping) onto specific electrode positions. These features enable the physician to more easily identify locations on the endocardium where ablation energy can be applied to treat the arrhythmia.

"It's a significant advancement because it makes the system more intuitive," said Dr. Hugh Calkins, an electrophysiologist on staff at Johns Hopkins Medical University in Baltimore. He added that, "It is useful in that it enhances existing catheter ablation techniques and most importantly improves results."

Dr. Martin Schalij, of the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, called the upgrade "an excellent addition to the laboratory. "The technology links your electrophysiology data with an anatomic heart model, helping us locate the arrhythmia and ablate it," he said.

With the software release, the RPM Tracking System combines features found in most standard electrophysiology recording systems with advanced features for isochronal mapping and non-fluoroscopic catheter navigation. This integrated systems approach is a powerful tool that can allow the physician to use the system at varying levels of complexity depending on the diagnostic and therapeutic needs for the particular arrhythmia.

The system can be used with standard diagnostic catheters to display and process intracardiac electrograms. When used with Cardiac Pathways' line of RPM navigation and ablation catheters, the system provides three-dimensional graphic displays that track real-time catheter positions and closely associate all electrograms from these catheters with 3D locations. With this association, activation times for up to six electrogram signals can be collected and placed on a deformable heart model that is representative of heart wall positions derived from catheter positions. These advanced navigation and mapping tools are believed to be essential in improving the process of locating positions in the heart to apply ablative therapy.

About Cardiac Pathways

Cardiac Pathways develops, manufactures and markets minimally invasive systems to diagnose and treat cardiac tachyarrhythmias (abnormally rapid heart rhythms). The company is a pioneer and leader in the development of complete integrated mapping and ablation systems for the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disturbances.

Statements included in this release that are not historical or current are "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the Company's ability to gain market acceptance of the Company's products, the Company's ability to successfully obtain regulatory clearance or approvals to market its products, the ability of the Company to cost effectively manufacture and distribute products in commercial quantities, whether the RPM Tracking System and Chillirpm cooled ablation catheter will be commercially adopted by physicians, whether RPM technology complements existing and emerging treatment modalities and the Company's ability to effectively compete in the field of electrophysiology against its competitors, many of which have substantially greater financial and other resources