MEDTRONIC GETS CLEARANCE TO INCLUDE CAPNOGRAPHY IN LIFEPAK.

Oridion Medical Ltd., Danville, Calif., has announced that its partner Medtronic Physio-Control has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include Oridion's Microstream(TM) capnography in its LIFEPAK 12 defibrillator/monitor series.

Medtronic Physio-Control is the world's leading manufacturer of defibrillators and other emergency medical products.

Oridion recently signed an OEM agreement enabling Medtronic Physio-Control to integrate Oridion's MediCO2(TM) capnography module with Microstream into the LIFEPAK 12 series. Receiving 510(k) clearance for the Microstream option marked another milestone in the growing relationship between the two companies. Earlier this year, they engaged in a private label agreement that allows Medtronic Physio-Control to market Oridion's family of handheld Microstream capnographs.

Oridion supplies Microstream capnography to several other leading medical equipment manufacturers through OEM and private label agreements. These companies include Datascope, Datex-Ohmeda, Drager, Hewlett-Packard, Mallinckrodt (Nellcor Puritan Bennett), Nihon Kohden and others. As a result of these partnerships, Oridion is fast becoming the technology leader in capnography, the noninvasive measurement of CO2 in exhaled breath.

Oridion developed Microstream CO2 measuring technology to conquer problems common in conventional mainstream and sidestream capnography systems. At the core of Microstream technology is an extremely sharp spectrum light emitter that generates only CO2-specific radiation. This core technology, called molecular correlation spectroscopy (MCS), is enhanced by Oridion's specially designed FilterLine(TM) breath sampling circuits and airway adapters. Together, Microstream and FilterLine innovations offer a host of clinical advantages. Measurements are more accurate and reliable, moisture and occlusion problems are virtually eliminated, and the widest range of patients can be monitored: neonates to adults, intubated and non-intubated patients.

"Microstream is a perfect match for products like the LIFEPAK 12 series, which are designed to serve a wide range of clinical needs," said Scott Christensen, president of Oridion Medical Inc. "Unlike previous capnographs, which have had limited effectiveness, Microstream works extremely well in every clinical environment and with every patient. Its technology is unrivaled today."

The advantages of Microstream capnography are becoming increasingly important as changes in medical care take shape. For example, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recently adopted new standards that require CO2 monitoring for all sedated patients, including those outside the operating room. The use of capnography is also growing in prehospital and emergency care settings. Microstream's monitoring versatility is a valuable asset in these environments where a diverse range of patients and medical conditions are the norm. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff use capnography to verify that the endotracheal tube is placed correctly in the patient's airway and remains in place during transport. Further, Microstream makes capnography viable for non-intubated emergency applications, such as assessing patients who have acute asthma or other breathing disorders.

Founded in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1987, Oridion Medical Ltd. designs and produces technically advanced noninvasive carbon dioxide monitoring equipment employing its patented Microstream CO2 measuring technology. The company's U.S. subsidiary, Oridion Medical Inc., located in Danville, Calif., is responsible for the capnography business. The Breath Test Business Unit, based in Israel, will soon launch a revolutionary breath test system for diagnosing and assessing a range of patient conditions from the convenience of the physician's office.

For more information, call 925/362-0440.