ATS Medical Confirms Excellent Durability of the ATS Open Pivot Mechanical H...( MINNEAPOLIS July 9 /- ATS Medical...)

MINNEAPOLIS, July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services, today announced it has obtained new in vivo data to support the outstanding wear characteristics of the ATS Open Pivot(R) Mechanical Heart Valve.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040202/ATSILOGO)

The first ATS Open Pivot valve was implanted in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 4, 1992 by Professor H. Sadeghi and Dr. Demetre Nicoloff. The patient was 70 years old at the time of his surgery and enjoyed another active 15 years with his ATS Open Pivot valve. He recently passed away from non-valve related causes and his physician and family permitted the explantation of his Open Pivot valve for scientific analysis. Scanning electronic microscopy and laser profilometry were used to quantify the wear on the carbon portion of the valve. After 15 years of use and an estimated 560 million opening and closing cycles, the Open Pivot valve displayed no detectable wear.

"We appreciate the willingness of Professor Sadeghi and the patient's family to allow ATS the opportunity to examine the first implanted Open Pivot valve. Their generous contribution has provided valuable data that validates the excellent durability of the ATS valve and is a strong testament of its clinical benefits for potential patients and their physicians," stated Michael Dale, Chairman, President, and CEO of ATS Medical.

About ATS Medical

ATS Medical, Inc. provides innovative products and services focused on cardiac surgery. The Company, global in scope, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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