Results of Multi-Site Clinical Study Confirm Utility of StO2 Monitoring for Trauma Patients.

HUTCHINSON, Minn. -- Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (Nasdaq:HTCH) today announced results from its multi-site StO2 Trauma Study. Data from the study show that local tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) measured noninvasively on the thenar eminence (the muscle at the base of the thumb) is a statistically significant indicator of hypoperfusion (inadequate blood flow) in trauma patients. The study results were presented on September 29 by Stephen M. Cohn, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma in New Orleans.

The study was initiated in 2004 to identify the role that StO2 monitoring with Hutchinson Technology's InSpectra[TM] StO2 Tissue Oxygenation Monitor could play in hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. Seven Level I U.S. trauma centers participated, enrolling a total of 383 severely injured patients. The study was designed to determine if StO2 measurements on the thenar eminence are an indicator of hypoperfusion. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) was chosen as the indicator of hypoperfusion because it is generally accepted that early hypoperfusion is associated with later development of organ dysfunction. Conclusions from the study include:

Co StO2 below 75 percent may indicate serious hypoperfusion in trauma patients. In the trial, 78 percent of patients who developed MODS, and 83 percent of patients who died, had StO2 below 75 percent in the first hour of arrival in the emergency department (ED).

Co StO2 above 75 percent indicates adequate perfusion. Trauma patients who maintained StO2 above 75 percent within the first hour of ED arrival had an 88 percent chance of MODS-free survival. StO2 was significantly different during the course of resuscitation for patients who developed MODS compared to those who did not.

Co StO2 functions as well as base deficit in indicating hypoperfusion in trauma patients, with the added benefits of being continuous, direct and noninvasive. The results for minimum StO2 within the first hour after ED arrival compared favorably for both the MODS and mortality outcomes when compared to maximum base deficit collected within the first hour.

"While base deficit will continue to be used as one indicator of a trauma patient's condition, these study results support StO2 as a valid adjunctive measure that will provide continuous, direct and noninvasive information to help trauma teams make decisions with confidence," said Dr. Cohn, who served as one of the study's principal investigators. Dr. Cohn is chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a member of Hutchinson Technology's Trauma Advisory Board.

"We are very pleased with these important study results," said Christina Temperante, president of Hutchinson Technology's BioMeasurement Division. "They validate the scientific approach we took to develop and test the technology. We look forward to making a significant contribution to trauma care, beginning with the launch of our InSpectra StO2 Tissue Oxygenation Monitor." Temperante said shipments of the device are expected to begin by the end of this calendar year.

The InSpectra StO2 System uses near infrared spectroscopy to provide a direct, continuous measurement of oxygenated hemoglobin in muscle tissue. Consisting of a monitor, an optical cable and a single-use sensor that is applied to the thenar eminence, the system is indicated for use in monitoring patients during circulatory or perfusion examinations of skeletal muscle, or when there is a suspicion of compromised circulation.

For more information on the StO2 Trauma Study and conclusions, call 1.800.419.1007 (in Europe, call [phone]), or visit www.htibiomeasurement.com.

Hutchinson Technology's BioMeasurement Division is bringing new technologies and products to the market that provide information clinicians can use to improve the quality of health care. The BioMeasurement Division was established with the objective of leveraging the company's culture of quality, engineering capabilities and leading-edge measurement technology in the medical market. Hutchinson Technology, founded in 1965, is recognized as a worldwide technology leader in the design and manufacture of suspension assemblies for disk drives.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements regarding the InSpectra StO2 System's introduction to the market. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to risks associated with new product development and commercialization, such as market acceptance of the device and the metric it provides, the company's ability to manufacture the InSpectra StO2 System, regulatory approvals, potential competitive offerings, and other factors described from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.