Cardiac Science Acquires Cadent Medical Corp.; Wearable Defibrillator Promises Life-Saving Protection to Heart Patients At Home.

Business Editors/Health and Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

IRVINE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--July 6, 2000

Cardiac Science Inc. (OTC: DFIB), Thursday announced it has acquired Cadent Medical Corp. of Bedford, Mass., a privately held company that has developed a cell phone size defibrillator designed to be worn by mobile cardiac patients.

Cardiac Science plans to integrate its proprietary software into the new device to assure that a patient, whether in a hospital or at home going about daily activities, automatically receives an immediate defibrillation shock should he suffer a life-threatening heart rhythm. Cadent Medical also offers additional technology for use in Cardiac Science's existing and planned product line.

As consideration, Cardiac Science issued 4.5 million shares of restricted common stock to Cadent Medical shareholders for a total purchase price of $22.5 million.

"This acquisition extends our product reach beyond the hospital to the emerging at-home market. The wearable device can provide protection for the 4.8 million cardiac patients discharged from U.S. hospitals each year who are at temporary risk for a period of days to weeks of suffering life-threatening heart rhythms," said Raymond W. Cohen, president and chief executive officer. "We intend to complete the product development, gain regulatory clearance and have the device to market within 18 months."

About Cadent Medical Corp.

Cadent Medical Corp. was founded in 1996 and financed by medical technology venture capital firms Domain Associates, Coral Ventures, Boston Medical Investors and more recently, Hunt Financial Corp.

Cadent's intellectual property, in addition to the wearable device, includes patent filings, proprietary mini-defibrillation electrodes effective for multiple-day monitoring and for reducing skin irritation. Other innovations include impedance-compensated biphasic defibrillation technology, battery optimization and, component miniaturization.

Cadent's talented engineers will focus on completing the wearable defibrillator and contribute to Cardiac Science's research and development activities.

About Cardiac Science

Cardiac Science develops and markets life-saving external cardiac defibrillator devices and proprietary software that monitor and automatically treats cardiac arrest patients. RHYTHMx ECD(TM) tachyarrhythmia detection and defibrillation software, the company's core proprietary technology platform, has multiple applications including use in bedside external defibrillators, wearable defibrillators and standard patient monitors that are widely used in hospitals throughout the world.

Shipments of the Cardiac Science's first commercial product, the Powerheart(R), began on Dec. 31, 1999. Powerheart is currently used to save lives in hospitals worldwide. Powerheart continuously monitors in-hospital patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest, instantly detects the onset of a life-threatening heart rhythm, and when appropriate, automatically delivers defibrillation shocks within seconds and without human intervention to re-establish the heart's normal rhythm. The ability to respond to a life-threatening heart rhythm within seconds saves lives and minimizes a loss of oxygen to the brain, thereby eliminating potential neurological damage and a diminished quality of life that often occurs when defibrillation is withheld for even a few minutes.

Cardiac Science's global network consists of prominent distributors in 41 countries encompassing Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South America and North America. Cardiac Science has an exclusive agreement with Medtronic Physio-Control, a division of Medtronic Inc., the worldwide market leader in external defibrillator products, to distribute the Powerheart in the United States, Canada, and nine European countries.

In June of 2000 Cardiac Science licensed its proprietary technology to Medtronic Physio-Control, the world's largest manufacturer of external defibrillators, for integration into Medtronic Physio-Control's LIFEPAK(R) products for the hospital market. For more information, visit http://www.cardiacscience.com/.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: The company's ability to complete the development of the wearable defibrillator and to receive regulatory clearance and bring the wearable defibrillator to market within 18 months; The safety and efficacy of the Powerheart and the wearable defibrillator, its ability to increase survival rates for in-hospital cardiac arrest victims, its ability to improve patient-care and lessen patient debilitation; The company's ability to successfully integrate its technology into Medtronic Physio-Control's LIFEPAK products. Cardiac Science cautions that these statements are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by the forward-looking statements. Other factors include, but are not limited to: hospital operations; market and clinical users' acceptance of new and existing products; impact of competitive products and pricing; and changing market conditions. Information on these and other factors are detailed in the company's Form 10-K for the year ending Dec. 31, 1999 and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Powerheart and RHYTHMx ECD are trademarks of Cardiac Science Inc.