St. Jude Medical Announces Development and Marketing Agreement with ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc.

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ - News), a global medical device company and ZONARE Medical Systems, a leading provider of premium ultrasound systems, today announced they have entered into a development and marketing agreement. Under this agreement, the companies will combine the St. Jude Medical intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter and the ZONARE z.one Convertible Ultrasound system technology, and co-market an ultrasound system for intracardiac (inside the heart) imaging. The co-branded Ultrasound console will provide a new platform for the St. Jude Medical ViewFlex ICE catheter to perform intracardiac imaging.

ZONARE’s z.one Convertible Ultrasound system was introduced in 2005 and uses Zone Sonography™ technology, a unique patented approach to ultrasound imaging. To date, the company has sold over 4,000 z.one systems worldwide.

“St. Jude Medical is pleased to partner with ZONARE Medical Systems and to combine its innovative technology and promising future developments in ultrasound imaging with our electrophysiology catheters,” said Jane J. Song, president of the St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division. “We are also pleased to be partnering with a company that is focused on developing ultrasound technology and integrating it with our catheters.”

Ultrasound technology allows physicians to produce high-resolution intracardiac images. These images help guide physicians in performing a variety of procedures such as radiofrequency (RF) ablation to treat irregular heart rhythms and in closing defects such as patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole or opening in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart (the atria). Clear views inside the heart also help reduce the time that it takes physicians to perform such procedures, providing patients an opportunity to recover more quickly and potentially enhancing hospital productivity.

Ultrasound imaging systems work by transmitting high-frequency sound waves through a transducer on the tip of a catheter. The sound waves reflect off structures inside the heart and the transducer collects and converts them back into electric energy to produce anatomical images. This ultrasound imaging process can also help to eliminate unnecessary fluoroscopy (X-ray) exposure to the patient and physician.

“We are pleased to partner with St. Jude Medical to develop better tools for increased clinician confidence when performing complex electrophysiology procedures,” said Jay D. Miller, president and chief executive officer of ZONARE. “This continues to validate ZONARE’s exclusive focus on innovative software-based ultrasound and transducer technologies designed to deliver premium image quality in a compact and light-weight ultrasound system.”

About St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical develops medical technology and services that focus on putting more control into the hands of those who treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide. The company is dedicated to advancing the practice of medicine by reducing risk wherever possible and contributing to successful outcomes for every patient. St. Jude Medical is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. and has four major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular and neuromodulation. For more information, please visit sjm.com.

About ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc.

ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif, is committed to ultrasound excellence through its innovative, software-based, next generation technology, and by putting customers and employees first. The patented design and architecture of the z.one Ultrasound™ platform deliver premium image quality and clinical versatility at unparalleled value. ZONARE’s exclusive ultrasound focus has resulted in achieving a user loyalty rating of 100 percent in the KLAS Top 20: 2009 Year-End Report. All ZONARE customers interviewed for this ultrasound market report indicated that they would purchase a z.one ultrasound system again. For more information, visit: www.zonare.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include the expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including potential clinical successes, anticipated regulatory approvals and future product launches, and projected revenues, margins, earnings and market shares. The statements made by the Company are based upon management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market conditions and other factors beyond the Company’s control and the risk factors and other cautionary statements described in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including those described in the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements sections of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 2, 2010. The Company does not intend to update these statements and undertakes no duty to any person to provide any such update under any circumstance.

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