FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Debra Oakes
ACIST Medical Systems
952-995-9352
debra.oakes@acistmedical.com

ACIST Medical Systems Announces the Market Release of the ACIST CVi Contrast Delivery System: The ACIST CVi – Trust Experience. Rely on Innovation.

Minneapolis, MN, November 18, 2005 – ACIST Medical Systems, a leading clinical and technological innovator in automated contrast delivery systems and part of the Bracco Group, announced today the market release of the ACIST CVi Contrast Delivery System for cardiovascular angiographic procedures. This fourth-generation system delivers the same procedural and cost-efficiencies enjoyed by ACIST customers today, with new features that enhance ease of use and versatility.

“The ACIST CVi expands the scope of contrast delivery by providing pre-set contrast delivery functions for either cardiac or peripheral procedures in one complete system. In addition, the ACIST CVi is designed to enhance ease-of-use and flexibility while providing the procedural efficiency and contrast optimization that clinicians have come to expect from ACIST,” states Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, Chairman of ACIST. “We are very pleased with the strong customer interest in ACIST CVi after its presentation at TCT in Washington and we anticipate a similar response for our market introduction in Europe in early 2006.”

ACIST works hand-in-hand with customers to develop systems that meet the unique needs of the patient, the clinicians and the requirements of each procedure. The ACIST CVi continues to provide precision and control in contrast delivery, while adding enhancements to promote ease-of-use in the angiographic suite.

The ACIST CVi Contrast Delivery System provides the following benefits:

• Ease and Simplicity – innovation and experience has been translated into simplicity with the ACIST CVi. The straight forward, intuitive setup of the system and disposables coupled with their flexibility and versatility is designed to provide the clinician with more freedom to focus on the patient.
• Procedural Flexibility and Workflow – ACIST CVi provides one contrast delivery system for both cardiac and vascular angiography. Synchronization capabilities are part of this integrated system, further enhancing the flexible platform.
• Versatility of Equipment Setup – the lower-profile, table-mountable injector and extendable control panel can be placed where it is needed most and with less interference. The ACIST CVi system can help reduce the amount of equipment in the procedure room and has features which shorten the learning curve for new users.¹

As always, ACIST CVi Fluid Delivery System continues to provide

• Precision and Control – through variable-rate adjustments of contrast flow and volume, in “real-time”, by simply adjusting the pressure applied to the ergonomic AngioTouch® hand controller.
• Trust and Reliability – through established experience and ongoing innovation of ACIST systems.
• Cost Effectiveness and Enhanced Workflow – through the reduction of contrast media usage and set-up time needed.

With over 800,000 procedures annually, and growing, ACIST is a leading player in precision, user-controlled, variable-rate delivery of contrast media for both large and small vessel angiography. Since the system’s introduction in 1998, numerous articles in top tier interventional cardiology journals have described its potential benefits.^1-8

The introduction of the ACIST CVi demonstrates Bracco’s on-going commitment to its customers by supplying innovative, practical and reliable products to fit their needs.

About ACIST
ACIST is a world leader in contrast delivery solutions for the imaging field, dedicated to advancing the art of angiography through research and development of new products and technologies – supporting today's needs and anticipating those of tomorrow. More than three and a half million people around the world have had cardiovascular angiographic procedures using an ACIST system. ACIST systems are widely proven in the global health care arena, with clinical usage in over 30 countries and in many world-renowned centers, as well as in community hospitals and university settings.

About Bracco
The Bracco Group is a world leading provider of global diagnostic imaging solutions, with net sales of about $1.25 billion. Bracco has operations in 115 countries and about 3,300 employees, around 600 of whom work in R&D. Bracco invests approximately 15% of its annual turnover in R&D and has a portfolio of 1,500 patents worldwide.

The Bracco Group is a leader in the diagnostic imaging market with an integrated product offering from a diverse roster of subsidiary companies. While Bracco is recognized internationally as a definitive market leader in its core business of contrast media, Bracco also markets key diagnostic imaging resources through the following companies: Esaote, which is one of the world's primary producers of magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging systems; ACIST Medical Systems, a manufacturer of advanced contrast media injection systems; EBIT-AET, which creates and markets medical application software, and Singapore-based Volume Interactions, which also produces advanced medical software.

Bracco also operates a high-level international research network, with three centers (Milan, Geneva, and Princeton). These centers develop products of the latest-generation diagnostic techniques, from X-ray and computed tomography (CT) to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocontrast.

AngioTouch is a registered trademark of ACIST Medical Systems.

1. J Invas Cardiol 2004, 16:729-731
2. J Invas Cardiol 2005; 16:360-362
3 J Invas Cardiol 2005; 17:118-121
4. Cathet Card Int 2001 52:393-398
5. Cathet Card Int 2001 53: 221-224
6. Int J Cardiovascular Interventions, Vol 7, No 4.
7 J Int Cardiol 2001:14:147-152
8. J Invas Cardiol 2005; 17:42-43

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