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| |  Ultrafast CT Scanner Detects Unsuspected Coronary Artery Blockages SO. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 1997 -- Imatron Inc. (Nasdaq: IMAT) today announced that a landmark study published in the January 15, 1997 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology found that coronary calcification as detected by Imatron's Ultrafast CT(R) is a predictor of unsuspected blockages in the coronary arteries of asymptomatic individuals. The study, conducted at the St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, NY and the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., was led by Alan Guerci, M.D., Director of Research at the St. Francis Hospital. By using coronary angiography as the definitive diagnostic test, investigators showed that asymptomatic patients with elevated calcium scores had clinically significant coronary disease. More importantly, the study demonstrates a highly significant relationship between coronary calcium score and worst stenosis, or narrowing of the coronary artery. The coronary calcium scores of the patients in the study were determined using Imatron's Ultrafast CT(R) Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) scanner, a fourth generation electron beam scanner capable of detecting and quantifying calcium buildup in the coronary arteries. This study was based on 18 asymptomatic individuals who showed above average calcium scores for their age group. Seventeen had at least one blockage of 25 percent or more, and six had obstructive coronary artery disease as defined to be a narrowing of a coronary artery by 50 percent or more. According to Dr. Guerci, "Previous studies have shown that patients with similar degrees of clinically significant, but non-obstructive stenoses, have coronary event rates up to 19 times higher than those with angiographically normal coronary arteries. Since a low calcium score predicts little or no coronary disease in the absence of symptoms, our study proves that Imatron's Ultrafast CT(R) EBT scanner can identify asymptomatic people at high risk for coronary events, including heart attack." According to S. Lewis Meyer, President and CEO of Imatron, "This study is another strong validation of the effectiveness of the Ultrafast CT(R) scanner in identifying individuals with early coronary artery disease. Recently published findings in the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE), West of Scotland (WOSCOPS) and Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival (4S) studies show that various statin drugs can lower cholesterol and dramatically reduce mortality and coronary events in patients with and without previously proven heart disease. With no direct correlation between high blood cholesterol and heart disease, the challenge is to find those patients who can most benefit from cholesterol lowering treatments prior to experiencing a coronary event. Dr. Guerci's study proves our scanner can identify those individuals, further proving its vital role in addressing heart disease, the nation's number one killer and the costliest health problem by far." Statements made in this news release that state the Company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future are forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. In addition to the factors set forth above, other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, projected financial results and industry-wide market factors. Imatron Inc. is primarily engaged in designing, manufacturing and marketing high performance computed tomography (CT) scanners based on the Company's proprietary scanning electron beam technology. Ultrafast CT(R) is a registered trademark of Imatron. Imatron's Ultrafast CT(R) scanner is now in use at major medical centers around the world, including The Mayo Clinic, University of Iowa, National Institutes of Health, UCLA, University of Illinois, The Royal Brompton Hospital in London, Tokyo University Hospital, Beijing Hospital, as well as many other major hospital centers. Imatron's Ultrafast CT(R) is distributed in the United States, Canada, Europe, and India by Siemens Medical Systems. Imatron's HeartScan Imaging Inc. subsidiary provides Coronary Artery Disease Risk Assessment diagnostic services in a nationwide network of Company-owned clinics.
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