ZOLL Medical's LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator named one of top five innovative medical devices of 2009

ZOLL Medical Corporation (NasdaqGS: ZOLL), a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that the Medical Device Network has named the LifeVest^® Wearable Defibrillator as one of the five most innovative and life-changing medical devices of 2009.

“The LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator has protected more than 21,000 patients at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest.”

Reporter Frances Penwill-Cook of the U.K.-based Medical Device Network explained, “The LifeVest was selected because we felt it was technologically exceptional, that it would experience widespread use due to excellent functionality and that it would have a significant impact on patient care.”

“To receive this designation from a large and respected internet reference portal indicates that the LifeVest is gaining visibility on the international front as a standard of care,” said Richard A. Packer, Chairman and CEO of ZOLL. “The LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator has protected more than 21,000 patients at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest.”

The LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator is worn by patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), providing protection during their changing condition and while permanent SCA risk has not been established. The LifeVest allows a patient’s physician time to assess his or her long-term arrhythmic risk and make appropriate plans.

The LifeVest is lightweight and easy to wear, allowing patients to return to their activities of daily living, while having the peace of mind that they are protected from SCA. The LifeVest continuously monitors the patient’s heart and, if a life-threatening heart rhythm is detected, the device delivers a treatment shock to restore normal heart rhythm.

The LifeVest is used for a wide range of patient conditions or situations, including following a heart attack, before or after bypass surgery or stent placement, as well as for those with cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure that places them at particular risk.