Datascope Announces Full Market Launch of the Linear(TM) 7.5 Intra-aortic Balloon

Market Wire, January, 2005

Datascope Corp. (NASDAQ: DSCP) announced the worldwide launch of the Linear(TM) 7.5 Fr. intra-aortic balloon (IAB).

The Linear 7.5 is a 40cc IAB with the smallest diameter of any IAB available in the U.S. market. This reduced size enables clinicians to deliver counterpulsation therapy to a broader range of patients, including those with smaller peripheral vasculature. Support of this patient population -- smaller adults, diabetics, and individuals with peripheral vascular disease -- has traditionally been challenging for physicians.

Another feature of the Linear 7.5 is its new Durathane(TM) balloon membrane. This thinner, yet stronger, membrane is the most abrasion resistant of any IAB, and is designed to give the physician greater confidence in providing longer periods of balloon pumping therapy. In addition, the Linear 7.5 has a substantially lower insertion force than any competitive IAB, facilitating balloon delivery and allowing for faster initiation of therapy.

Balloon pump therapy, or counterpulsation, is widely used to provide temporary assistance to the heart in a variety of critical care settings, including cardiogenic shock, high-risk coronary angioplasty / stenting procedures, and coronary bypass surgery. Counterpulsation refers to inflation and deflation of an intra-aortic balloon synchronized with the heartbeat in a manner that provides a two-fold assist to the beating heart: increasing its oxygen supply while decreasing its oxygen demand, an intervention that often restores the supply and demand balance necessary for the patient's recovery.

The Linear 7.5 is another major new product launch for Datascope's Cardiac Assist Division. In August 2003, the division launched the CS100 balloon pump. The CS100 is the first fully automatic pump produced by Datascope, the most advanced pump of its kind, and sets a higher standard of care for patients who require IAB support. In February 2002, the division launched the Fidelity 8 Fr. IAB, featuring a unique co-lumen design that provides higher fidelity blood pressure waveforms and faster inflation / deflation times. The Fidelity currently accounts for more than 85% of the company's total IAB sales. The introduction of the Linear 7.5 underscores Datascope's technology leadership in counterpulsation therapy products.

In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2004, sales of Cardiac Assist products were $129.5 million, an increase of 9% over the previous year.

Datascope Corp. is a diversified medical device company that manufactures and markets proprietary products for clinical health care markets in interventional cardiology and radiology, cardiovascular and vascular surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine and critical care. Datascope's news releases and other company information can be found on the company's website, http://www.datascope.com.

For Information Contact: Rachel Winokur Corporate Director, Business Development Datascope Corp. 14 Philips Parkway Montvale, NJ 07645 (201) 307-5429