New Medtronic Attain Select Catheter Set Expands Tools for Implanting

New Medtronic Attain Select Catheter Set Expands Tools for Implanting Cardiac Resynchronization Devices

    Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

    MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2005--

Innovative Instruments Are Especially Designed for Safe Maneuverability in Tortuous Veins Between Lower Chambers of the Heart
    Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) announced the recent introduction of the Medtronic Attain Select(TM) 6238 TEL Guide Catheter Set that aids in the safe and effective implantation of device leads in the veins that serve the left side of the heart for the treatment of heart failure. The Attain Select products, now available in the United States, Europe and Canada, build on Medtronic's industry-leading clinical experience in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for heart failure.
    These catheters are highly specialized to give physicians a range of choices as they work from outside the body to select the most appropriate cardiac veins leading to the heart's lower left chamber (ventricle) and safely maneuver an insulated lead through them to carry electrical impulses from an implanted CRT device. The set includes catheters in three shapes:

--	One catheter shaped with its tip in a 90-degree curve and another with a 180-degree curve. These facilitate vessel subselection, telescoping inside a larger-diameter guiding catheter such as the Medtronic Model 6218A and enabling the user to maneuver it or a guidewire swiftly and smoothly in veins with sharply angled side branches.
--	A straight catheter to aid in cannulation of the coronary sinus or in crossing partially blocked or narrowed veins.

    According to Dr. Daniel Gras, interventional cardiologist in Nantes, France, " The Attain Select catheters provide key contributions during left ventricular lead placement, not only to cannulate the coronary sinus but also to reach the target cardiac vein, so we can further rely on effective cardiac resynchronization." He further added: "I expect that the entire left-heart implantation procedure will be much easier now."
    Niraj Prasad, M.D., interventional cardiologist at St. Anthony Hospital, Oklahoma City, Okla., recently used the Attain Select catheters to implant a CRT device in a woman with end-stage heart failure. She had previously received a CRT device that wasn't operational since the left-heart lead could not be maneuvered through her coronary sinus vein to an effective stimulation position. Dr. Prasad noted that such a tortuous coronary sinus vein structure is confronted in about 10 percent of cases and is difficult to predict. But, he said, "The straight catheter from the new Attain Select set hugged the guidewire very closely, eased through the coronary sinus curve very smoothly, and we effectively positioned her lead so that the device has already been able to reduce her heart failure symptoms. The Attain Select curved catheters further extend the range of patients we can serve, and it will be a great set for us."
    Medtronic's Attain Select 6238 catheter set is the latest in a full line of leads and accessories that address a key implant challenge - preparing a path for safe transit of a separate guiding catheter and then the lead through difficult coronary anatomies. The catheters of the new set offer carefully engineered stiffness, the ability to deliver contrast media, and clear fluoroscopic trackability. Their softer tips are designed to reduce risk of trauma to blood vessels and their smaller inner lumens (0.040 inch in diameter) provide precise tracking over any guidewire with up to a 0.035-inch diameter. The new Attain Select catheters are designed to fit inside current Medtronic Attain catheters that are used for coronary sinus cannulation.
    Heart failure afflicts approximately 22 million people worldwide, including 5 million Americans. Heart failure is also responsible for 1 million hospitalizations annually in Europe and another 1 million in the United States. Heart failure is a chronic condition that robs patients of their energy, mobility and independence. It develops when the heart has become damaged and gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, eventually resulting in symptoms such as weakness, fatigue and shortness of breath. CRT helps resynchronize the beating of the heart, often with dramatic quality of life improvements for many heart failure patients.
    Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Its website is www.medtronic.com.

    Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2004. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

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CONTACT: Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis Investor Relations: Chris King, 763-505-2695 or Public Relations: Valerie Lind, 763-505-2631

KEYWORD: MINNESOTA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL DEVICES MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY PRODUCT SOURCE: Medtronic, Inc.

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