The rescue is further confirmation of the results from a recent study of AEDs published in the New
    England Journal of Medicine, which showed that early response by non-medical personnel using an AED
    is a critical component in reducing sudden cardiac arrest mortality. Furthermore, the LIFEPAK 500 AED,
    specially designed to promote ease-of-use by first responders, is an important tool in reducing such
    mortality.

    The rescue occurred at The Bellingham Athletic Club, where an accounts receivable clerk found a club
    member unconscious in a seating area outside the racquetball courts. The clerk followed the simple
    instructions on the device and used the LIFEPAK 500 AED to revive the man in less than two minutes.

    Dr. Marvin Wayne, Medic One emergency medical services director for the Bellingham area, said the
    incident points out the need for AEDs in all public facilities.

    "No matter how good your emergency medical system is, your response time is going to be at least two
    minutes. That means -- based on a 10 percent reduction in survival for every minute lost -- a 20 percent
    reduction in survivability, odds that can be greatly improved by having an AED on-site," said Dr. Wayne.

    Cathy Buckley, owner of the club, said she was "thrilled" by the rescue. "We purchased the LIFEPAK
    500 about a year ago, and we'd never had to use it until this incident."

    The victim, Migo Biciunas, was born in Germany of Lithuanian parents who had escaped to this country
    to avoid political turmoil. As a boy in 1961, he watched helplessly as his father died from a similar heart
    problem. "In those days, they didn't even have CPR, much less AEDs," noted Biciunas. "I have no doubt
    that if not for the LIFEPAK 500 AED and the speed at which I was revived, I wouldn't have lived to see
    the New Year."

    Indeed, most stories like this one end tragically. Cardiac arrest is a major U.S. health problem that claims
    about 225,000 lives each year. Each day, in fact, nearly 1,000 Americans suffer from sudden cardiac
    arrest -- usually away from a hospital. More than 95 percent of them die, in many cases, because
    lifesaving defibrillators arrive on the scene too late, if at all.

    Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, and at any time and is usually caused by
    ventricular fibrillation, an ineffective quivering of the heart muscle that makes it unable to pump blood
    throughout the body. Once blood stops circulating, victims quickly lose consciousness and will die within
    minutes if they don't receive effective treatment.

    Medtronic Physio-Control's LIFEPAK 500 AED is lightweight and easy to use. Voice and text prompts give
    step-by-step instructions to the user about what to do if defibrillation is needed.

    Congress recently passed, and the President signed, new legislation mandating federal agencies to
    promptly assess their ability to provide emergency heart defibrillation consistent with modern standards
    of care by improving access to defibrillation devices in federal buildings. The Secretary of Health and
    Human Services is required to develop recommendations and guidelines for AED placement and use.

    The legislation comes in the wake of studies reported October 26, 2000, in the New England Journal of
    Medicine proving that persons with minimal training can successfully use simple, portable defibrillation
    devices in public places to save lives that might otherwise be lost to sudden cardiac arrest.

    The studies said, however, that the defibrillators must be close at hand and easily available. Many
    initiatives are under way in the United States to increase the rapid availability of AEDs where people
    gather.

    Medtronic Physio-Control, headquartered in Redmond, WA, is a unit of Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, the
    world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic
    disease. Its Internet address is www.medtronicphysiocontrol.com.