Medtronic Announces First Implants of the EnRhythm Pacemaker and the EnTrust Defibrillator.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2004

New devices offer MVP(TM) pacing mode to automatically minimize

unnecessary right ventricular pacing

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), today announced the first clinical implants of a new family of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) - the EnRhythm(TM) pacemaker and the EnTrust(TM) ICD. This family represents Medtronic's next step in the delivery of premium implantable devices that include features such as MVP(TM) (Managed Ventricular Pacing), a new pacing mode that is designed to promote natural heart activity by automatically minimizing unnecessary right ventricular pacing.

The first implants of EnRhythm occurred in 7 centers in the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Canada. The EnRhythm pacemaker is indicated for patients who have abnormally slow heartbeats (bradycardia), often caused by sinus node dysfunction. It is also indicated for patients who have atrial arrhythmias in addition to bradycardia.

The first implants of the EnTrust ICD occurred in 7 centers in Austria and Germany. ICDs are indicated for patients who have abnormally fast and potentially life-threatening heartbeats (tachycardia) that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

For the first time, the EnTrust ICD offers anti-tachycardia pacing during charging of the capacitor. This means that the device is ready to deliver full power therapy when needed, but not before it attempts to painlessly pace the patient out of the potentially life-threatening rhythm. Recent clinical studies have shown that ATP from Medtronic ICDs can dramatically reduce shocks for terminating ventricular arrhythmias by as much as 77 percent, a significant patient benefit. EnTrust also offers improved diagnostics for clinical efficiency and longevity of approximately 7 years, all within a small, 33 cc size.

"These products were designed with the patient's safety and comfort in mind," said Steve Mahle, president, Medtronic Cardiac Rhythm Management. "With the new MVP pacing mode, EnRhythm becomes the first pacemaker to automatically and significantly minimize unnecessary pacing in the right ventricle, which has been shown to be harmful for some patients. The EnTrust ICD also has this feature, plus important refinements in our anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) function. This can mean fewer shocks and greater patient comfort, without sacrificing the needed protection that only an ICD provides."

In addition to minimizing right ventricular pacing, the new EnRhythm pacemaker has reactive anti-tachycardia pacing, which continually searches for new opportunities to restore a patient's normal sinus rhythm during long atrial tachycardia episodes. It also offers enhanced diagnostic features, especially for patients who may have additional rhythm problems in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria), as well as improved longevity.

Both devices are integral parts of the Medtronic Physiologic Pacing Program, a comprehensive initiative focused on providing tailored medical technology solutions to help replicate a patient's normal cardiac function.

More than 8 million people worldwide have bradycardia, while approximately 3 million people have hearts that beat too fast. Abnormally rapid heartbeats can deteriorate into a life-threatening condition called ventricular fibrillation, the major cause of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In the United States, SCA is the leading cause of death, taking the lives of 450,000 people each year, more than lung cancer, breast cancer, AIDS and stroke combined. ICDs have been proven to be 98 percent effective in treating the rapid rhythms that lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Its Internet address is www.medtronic.com.

Any statements made about the company's anticipated financial results and regulatory approvals are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 25, 2003. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.