Sorin Group Announces CE Mark of INSPIRE(TM) New Family of Adult Oxygenators

Sorin Group, (MIL:SRN) (Reuters Code: SORN.MI), a global medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced today it has received CE (European Conformity) Mark for INSPIRE^TM 6, the first model of an entire new family of oxygenator systems for cardiopulmonary bypass procedures in adult patients.

Sorin Group plans to start market assessment studies for INSPIRE^TM 6 shortly after CE mark approval and commercial launch, including other models, to take place in the first half of 2012. The entire new family of INSPIRE^TM oxygenators will allow clinicians to replace, in the medium-term, Sorin’s current lines of adult oxygenators with enhanced systems.

An oxygenator system is a sophisticated medical device that, in combination with a heart-lung machine, replaces the function of the lungs during cardiac surgery procedures. The oxygenator segment (oxygenators and other disposable devices for extra-corporeal circulation) is a primary focus for Sorin Group, currently representing around 27% of the Group’s consolidated revenues.

Sorin’s new family of INSPIRE^TM oxygenators are designed to offer improved performance and higher flexibility compared to oxygenator systems currently available on the market, and to support clinicians in delivering high quality patient care during cardiopulmonary bypass. The INSPIRE^TM innovation and technology will also introduce complete modularity, allowing the improvement of manufacturing efficiency through lean processes and lead time reduction, as well as widening the variety of choices available for clinicians for the benefit of their patients, through a personalized perfusion approach, therefore strengthening Sorin Group’s leadership position.

‘‘As the world’s Number 1 Cardiopulmonary bypass company, Sorin Group is very proud to offer clinicians an innovative new range of oxygenator choices and solutions for a truly optimized approach to perfusion. The INSPIRE^TM family leverages over 30 years of Sorin Group knowledge and development expertise in the cardiopulmonary bypass market”, said Michel Darnaud, President, Cardiopulmonary and Intercontinental, Sorin Group.

About Sorin Group
Sorin Group (www.sorin.com) is a global, medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The Company develops, manufactures, and markets medical technologies for cardiac surgery and for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. With 3,700 employees worldwide, Sorin Group focuses on three major therapeutic areas: cardiopulmonary bypass (extracorporeal circulation and autotransfusion systems), cardiac rhythm management, and heart valve repair and replacement. Every year, over one million patients are treated with Sorin Group devices in more than 80 countries.

For more information, please visit www.sorin.com