Design Continuum and Aspect Medical Systems Recognized for Excellence in Design.

Business/Technology Editors and Health/Medical Writers

Aspect's A-2000(TM)BIS(R)Monitor Receives Design & Business

Catalyst Award Co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and the Industrial

Designers Society of America

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and BusinessWeek today named Design Continuum and Aspect Medical Systems (NASDAQ: ASPM) recipients of the 2002 Design & Business Catalyst Award for the design of Aspect's A-2000 BIS monitor. The award recognizes products that have demonstrated excellence in market performance and strategic, industry and social impact.

Aspect introduced BIS technology in 1996 as the first commercially available, direct measure of the effects of anesthetics on the brain. Shortly thereafter, Aspect partnered with international design firm, Design Continuum, to develop a more compact and portable system that would meet the needs of the operating room and critical care environments. The A-2000 BIS monitor was the result of this effort. Since its introduction to the market in March 1998, the A-2000 BIS monitor:

-- Has grown to an installed base of approximately 13,400 monitors

-- Has been used to assess more than five million patients

-- Has been incorporated into clinical practice at 60 percent of

the top-ranked U.S. hospitals (based on a U.S. News & World Report ranking of best hospitals)

-- Has been installed in more than 26 percent of hospitals in the U.S.

-- Became 65% less expensive to manufacture than the previous model

-- Expanded international sales into 160 countries

"Industrial design is an integral step in product development that is essential for widespread market acceptance," said John Shambroom, Director of Engineering at Aspect Medical Systems. "Continuum's user-focused approach helped us create a product that has now been adopted by clinicians around the world."

Continuum's research team visited a number of operating rooms to understand the workflow and space limitations of this environment. "Continuum focuses on making technology usable," said Ed Milano, Vice President of Marketing and Program Development at Continuum. "End users ultimately connect with a product through its design. Key learnings from user-focused research enabled us to design Aspect Medical Systems A-2000 BIS Monitor to specifically meet the needs of medical professionals and their working environments."

In a related announcement today, Continuum and six of its clients were awarded Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for excellence in product design. Like the Design & Business Catalyst Awards, the IDEA Awards are co-sponsored by IDSA and BusinessWeek.

About BIS Monitoring

BIS monitoring is used at medical facilities to provide direct information about the effects of anesthetics and sedatives on the brain. The technology works by placing a BIS sensor on a patient's forehead to obtain information from electrical brain activity, or EEG. The BIS monitor then translates this information into a single number from 100 (indicating an awake patient) to zero (indicating the absence of brain electrical activity) that objectively represents each patient's level of consciousness. BIS monitoring thereby enables clinicians to minimize the risk of under- and over-dosing of anesthetics and sedatives. Research is also underway to explore how extensions of the technology may apply in the diagnosis and tracking of neurological diseases.

About Aspect Medical Systems, Inc.

Aspect Medical Systems (NASDAQ: ASPM) is a global market leader in brain monitoring technology. To date, Aspect's Bispectral Index (BIS) technology has been used to assess more than five million patients and has been the subject of more than 900 published articles and abstracts. BIS is currently in use in the ORs and ICUs of more than 60 percent of the best-ranked hospitals with operating rooms in the U.S. (based on a U.S. News & World Report ranking of best hospitals) and is available in more than 160 countries. Aspect has secured OEM agreements with the six largest manufacturers of patient monitoring systems and partnerships with six of the largest group purchasing organizations in the United States. Based in Newton, Mass., Aspect employs more than 220 people worldwide. For more information, visit Aspect's web site at http://www.aspectmedical.com.

About Continuum

Design Continuum Inc. is an international design firm that identifies opportunities and brings consumer, technology and medical innovations to a state of market readiness. The company leverages user-focused research to guide product design and development toward successful commercialization. Since 1983, Continuum has extended the research, design and development capabilities of companies worldwide including Andersen Windows, Aspect Medical Systems, BMW, Master Lock, Moen, Procter & Gamble, Roche Diagnostics, Samsung, Sunbeam, and Zeiss. Continuum has offices in Boston, Milan and Seoul. For more information, visit www.dcontinuum.com, e-mail [e-mail] or call 1.800.625.5115.

Certain statements about Aspect in this release and on Aspect's web site are forward-looking statements and may involve risks and uncertainties, including statements with respect to the benefits of, and demand and market acceptance for, Aspect's products, Aspect's competitive position and success of Aspect's marketing strategies. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the results of clinical trials, market acceptance of products and products under development, regulatory approval of products under development, regulatory approval of requests for reimbursement, the scope of Aspect's patent protection and other risks included under the heading, "Factors Affecting Future Operating Results," in Aspect's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 30, 2002 filed on May 13, 2002, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the statements in this press release represent Aspect's expectations and beliefs as of the date of this press release. Aspect anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause these expectations and beliefs to change. However, while Aspect may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Aspect's expectations or beliefs as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Bispectral Index and BIS are registered trademarks of Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. A-2000 is a trademark of Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and company names are the property of their respective owners.