Medtronic Announces Market Introduction and FDA Approval of Three New Pacemakers

Physiologic, fully automatic Adapta pacemaker portfolio safeguards cardiac function and raises the standard of care for patients

MINNEAPOLIS – Aug. 14, 2006 – Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE: MDT) today announced the market introduction of its portfolio of fully automatic pacemakers, the Medtronic Adapta™, Versa™, and Sensia™ pacemakers. These pacing systems provide physiologic pacing adapted to the needs of individual patients, helping set new standards of care that reduce unnecessary pacing when the heart’s natural conduction is present. The portfolio recently received approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration.

“The Adapta portfolio of pacemakers includes a feature proven to reduce unnecessary pacing when the heart is functioning normally. For patients, this translates into tangible benefits – potentially reducing co-morbidities such as heart failure and related hospitalizations,” said Dr. John Andriulli, assistant professor of medicine, director of Arrhythmia Device Program at University of Medicine and Dentistry of N.J., Cooper University Hospital. “That these devices optimize pacing therapies automatically raises the bar for the care of bradycardia patients.”

The Adapta pacemaker offers the Medtronic-exclusive pacing mode called MVP™ or Managed Ventricular Pacing, which enables the device to be programmed to deliver pacing pulses to the heart’s lower right chamber (ventricle) only when necessary. MVP has been shown to reduce unnecessary right ventricular pacing by 99 percent (median value). Recent clinical studies have suggested that reducing this pacing stimulation may reduce the patient’s risk of developing heart failure and atrial fibrillation, a potentially life-threatening irregular heartbeat.

The new pacemaker systems also incorporate an array of automatic features to help physicians improve pacing therapy and streamline the patient follow-up process, potentially minimizing the amount of time spent in a physician’s office. The Adapta, Versa and Sensia pacemakers are completely automatic, and include the Medtronic-exclusive feature Atrial Capture Management (ACM). ACM is intended to automatically adjust impulses for optimal stimulation of the heart’s upper right chamber (atrium).

“We have reached a new level of care with the Adapta portfolio of pacemakers,” said Steve Mahle, president, Medtronic Cardiac Rhythm Management. “The convenience of automaticity coupled with its physiologic pacing capabilities will bring to bear significant benefits for physicians and the more than 900,000 patients worldwide who receive a pacemaker each year.”

The Adapta pacemaker portfolio, featuring algorithms clinically proven to effectively promote intrinsic conduction, is a key component of Medtronic’s Physiologic Pacing Program (MP3) initiative that illustrates where, when and how to best pace the heart. This comprehensive initiative helps educate physicians on recent clinical evidence about ventricular pacing and provides them with tailored solutions to either promote or mimic a patient’s normal cardiac function.

About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

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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 28, 2006. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

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Tracy McNulty

Public Relations Manager, CRDM

Medtronic, Inc.

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