VIASYS Healthcare's High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilator Reported in the New England Journal of Medicine To Reduce Mortality & Chronic Lung Disease in Premature Newborns With RDS.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2002

VIASYS Healthcare Inc.'s (NYSE:VAS) subsidiary SensorMedics today reported that the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 2002; 347:643) published the results of a large independent multi-center trial using their 3100A High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilator for the treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in very premature infants.

The Aug. 29, 2002 report by the Neonatal Ventilation Study Group concluded that ventilating very small premature infants with the SensorMedics 3100A HFOV resulted in fewer deaths and less chronic lung disease in these high-risk infants when compared with conventional mechanical ventilation. Members of the study group stated that, "For every 11 infants treated with High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation, one death or case of chronic lung disease was prevented."

The 3100A was first approved by the FDA in 1991 and is the only high frequency ventilator approved to be sold in the United States for early intervention in neonatal respiratory failure. High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation has been shown to prevent or interrupt the pulmonary injury sequence related to tidal ventilation in premature infants.

"We are very pleased that these new results in a large number of infants, and in the current times of better prenatal care and newer therapeutics, demonstrated the same benefits of the 3100A ventilator previously published in eight smaller trials," said Deniese LeBlanc, SensorMedics' product manager.

LeBlanc added that, "Considering that these infants were smaller than in any of our earlier trials, the study provides additional support for the use of the 3100A HFOV as the standard of care for ventilating premature infants."

The 3100A is now being used in more than 90% of Level III nurseries nationwide and is the recipient of the prestigious Child Health Corporation of America, "Seal of Acceptance" for excellence in pediatric care products.

VIASYS Healthcare is a global, research-based medical technology company focused in respiratory, neurocare and medical/surgical products. VIASYS' products are marketed under well-recognized brand names such as SensorMedics, Bird, Bear, Jaeger, and Nicolet. VIASYS has headquarters in Conshohocken. More information on VIASYS Healthcare can be found at www.viasyshealthcare.com.

This news release includes a forward-looking statement within the meaning of the "Safe Harbor" provisions of Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding potential expanded use of the 3100A High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilator. This forward-looking statement is based on current expectations and involves inherent risks and uncertainties, including important factors that could delay, divert, or change the expectations for 3100A and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors include, among other things, market factors, internal research and development initiatives, partnered research and development initiatives, competitive product development, marketing initiatives, governmental regulations and legislation, patent positions and litigation. For further details and a discussion of other risks and uncertainties that may change VIASYS' expectations, see the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 29, 2001, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. VIASYS undertakes no obligation to publicly update this forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.