MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATS Medical, Inc. is looking forward to its participation in the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The event runs January 28-31, 2007 in San Diego, California, and serves as one of the year's key gatherings of cardiovascular surgeons from around the world.
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ATS Medical continues to broaden its exposure and relationships within the cardiac surgery community and the STS meeting provides an excellent opportunity to display the progress made in assembling an array of product offerings focused on meeting the evolving needs of cardiac surgeons. Featured products will include the company's flagship ATS Open Pivot(R) Heart Valve and its newest iteration, the ATS Open Pivot(R) AP360(TM). Recently introduced in overseas markets, the AP360 expands upon the fundamental strengths of the open pivot design by maximizing hemodynamic performance while incorporating a cuff design that will extend the valve's appeal to a broader spectrum of surgeon preferences.
ATS 3f(R) tissue heart valve products will be on display with the ATS 3f(R) Aortic Bioprosthesis prominently featured. The valve is the first offering to result from the ATS acquisition of 3f Therapeutics in 2006 and will be shown with an improved holder system designed to facilitate rapid and reproducible implantation.
The ATS Simulus(TM) annuloplasty product line, designed for the heart valve repair market segment, is in its first year of introduction and is enjoying a high level of acceptance due to its friendly handling characteristics and suitability in robotic applications.
Surgical treatment of cardiac arrhythmias continues to be a topic of great interest for surgeons and growing numbers find the SurgiFrost(R) and FrostByte(TM) cryoablation systems to be their therapy of choice. The SurgiFrost(R) XL is a new addition to the lineup that was designed to better address the needs of surgeons interested in performing stand alone minimally invasive ablation procedures. Hands-on demonstrations of these intriguing technologies will be available at ATS Medical's booth #719.
Michael D. Dale, Chairman, President and CEO of ATS Medical, noted, "We are particularly excited about this year's Society meeting as it is our first since we completed the acquisition of 3f Therapeutics. ATS Medical has acted on its strategic plan through the addition of expanding opportunities that were unavailable to us just a year ago. This year's meeting is the perfect opportunity to continue raising our profile with surgeons from around the world and with key opinion leaders in specialized areas of cardiac surgery that we expect to focus on."
About ATS Medical
ATS Medical, Inc. provides innovative products and services focused on cardiac surgery. The company, global in scope, has been headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota since its founding in 1991. More than 130,000 ATS Open Pivot(R) Heart Valves, which utilize a unique pivot design resulting in exceptional performance and low risk profile, have been implanted in patients worldwide. The ATS 3F(R) brand encompasses multiple tissue heart valve product offerings at varying steps from market introductions to clinical trials to development projects that incorporate less invasive valve replacement technology. ATS Medical's focus on cardiac surgery is further strengthened by offerings that include ATS Simulus(TM) annuloplasty products for heart valve repair, SurgiFrost(R) and FrostByte(TM) products for surgical cryoablation of cardiac arrhythmias, RTI-Cardiovascular for allograft tissue services, and the development of PARSUS blood filtration technology. The ATS Medical web site is http://www.atsmedical.com .
Safe Harbor
This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that may include statements regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could affect the Company's activities and results, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, as amended, and its Form S-4 Registration Statement, as amended, filed with respect to the merger with 3F Therapeutics.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040202/ATSILOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comATS Medical, Inc.CONTACT: Michael Dale, President-CEO, +1-763-553-7736, or Michael Kramer,Senior Director of Finance, +1-763-557-2222, both of ATS Medical, Inc.; orInvestors, Jennifer Beugelmans, +1-646-201-5447, or Doug Sherk,+1-415-896-6820, or Media, Steve DiMattia, +1-646-201-5445, all of EVCGroup, Inc.
Web site: http://www.atsmedical.com/
