包括收购索林集团末梢支架（Peripheral Stent）业务的认购权

美国商业资讯2006年12月12日意大利米兰消息——

索林集团（米兰证券交易所：SRN）（路透社代码：SORN.MI）今天宣布：其已经与Datascope Corp. （纳斯达克股票代码：DSCP）达成了为期5年的独占世界协议，该世界协议不包括美国和日本地区。Datascope Corp.将分销索林集团的末梢血管支架（peripheral vascular stent）产品。此次交易包括在2年内收购索林集团末梢支架业务的认购权。

索林集团革新的末梢支架产品致力于治疗周围动脉疾病（"PAD"），运用了Carbofilm(TM)技术，这种技术具有与生物相兼容、与血液相兼容的特性，已经得到了临床的广泛认可。该产品线包括球囊扩张式和自膨式支架系统，主要用于治疗髂外动脉、肾动脉、下肢动脉损伤，球囊系统用于治疗PTA （经皮腔内血管成形术）。

索林集团的末梢支架产品线将由Datascope公司的InterVascular分部（“InterVascular”）来分销，InterVascular是为心脏和血管手术生产和分销人造血管的世界领先者。Datascope公司 相信：对于Intervascular的产品业务来说，末梢支架产品将成为一个极具吸引力的增加物，其将从Intervascular的营销、销售、临床教育/培训和新产品开发能力中受益。

“我们坚信：对于巩固和增强索林集团在介入心脏病学市场的技术领先地位和知名度方面，这个协议代表了一次独特的机会，我们将从Datascope公司的销售和分销网络中受益。”索林集团心脏外科手术业务部总裁兼科学主任Franco Vallana说。

InterVascular 总裁Nino Laudani说：“我们相信：对于InterVascular的业务组合来说，索林集团的末梢血管支架将成为一个极具吸引力的增加物。我们期望利用我们在营销、销售、临床教育和培训以及产品开发方面的能力来加速采用索林集团的产品。我们在心血管外科手术认购权方面所拥有的实力，以及我们一直致力的技术革新，这些都将使我们增加末梢支架的销售，拓展血管外科手术和介入疗法对支架的整体采用率。”

末梢血管支架和PTA球囊所拥有的世界市场不包括美国和日本，估计该市场的年收益能达到1.92亿美元，由于诊断方法的增多、人口愈加老龄化、糖尿病、高血压、肥胖和高胆固醇血症的高发病历——这一切都是导致PAD的原因，将使得年收益逐渐增加。

关于索林集团

索林集团（路透社代码：SORN.MI）是心脏外科手术医疗技术开发方面的全球领军企业，为心律紊乱、介入心脏病学以及慢性肾病提供创新疗法。索林集团旗下企业包括： Dideco、CarboMedics、COBE Cardiovascular、Stockert、Mitroflow、ELA Medical、Sorin Biomedica、Bellco和Soludia。索林集团在全球超过80个国家拥有分支机构，员工多达4500多名，为全球5000多家公共和私营医疗中心提供服务。

关于InterVascular和Datascope Corp

InterVascular是Datascope Corp.的全资子公司，是各种聚酯、以胶原包膜的经编人造血管和血管弥补物（collagen-coated knitted and woven vascular grafts and patches）的领先世界供应商。

Datascope Corp是家多样化的医疗设备公司，其为介入心脏病学和放射学、心血管和血管外科手术、麻醉学、急诊、危重病学领域的临床医疗保健市场设计、生产和营销所有权产品。公司拥有整合到两个报告部门中的四个产品线，心脏辅助/监控产品和介入产品/人造血管。公司的产品通过直销代表和独立的分销商销往世界各地。Datascope公司成立于1964年，总部设在新泽西州的Montvale。欲知更多新闻发布、网络播放以及其他公司信息，请访问Datascope公司的网站： www.datascope.com 。

获取更多信息：

www.sorin.com

www.datascope.com

联系方式：索林集团 Marco Chiado Piat 索林集团公司开发部副总裁 电话： +39-02-69969741 或者 Marilena Giavara 索林集团投资者关系部总监 电话： +44-20-70038730 电子邮件： marilena.giavara@sorin.com 或者 Datascope Corp. Scott D. Kantor Datascope Corp.首席财务官 电话： +1(201) 307-5490 电子邮件： marco.chiadopiat@sorin.com

(BW)(SORIN-GROUP/DATASCOPE)(DSCP)(SRN.MI) Sorin Group Enters into an Exclusive Agreement with Datascope to Distribute Sorin's Peripheral Stent Line

Includes Call Option To Acquire Sorin's Peripheral Stent Business

MILAN, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2006—

Sorin Group (MIL:SRN) (Reuters code: SORN.MI) announced today that it has closed an exclusive five-year worldwide agreement, excluding the United States and Japan, with Datascope Corp. (NASDAQ:DSCP), that will distribute Sorin's peripheral vascular stent products. The deal includes a call option to acquire Sorin's peripheral stent business within two years.

Sorin's innovative peripheral stent products are dedicated to the treatment of peripheral arterial disease ("PAD") and use the Carbofilm(TM) Technology, whose excellent biocompatible and hemocompatible characteristics are well clinically proven. The product line includes balloon-expandable and self-expanding stent systems principally for use in the treatment of the iliac arteries, renal arteries and infrapopliteal lesions, as well as balloon systems for use in PTA (Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty).

Sorin's peripheral stent line will be distributed by Datascope's InterVascular Division ("Intervascular"), a worldwide leader in manufacturing and distributing vascular grafts to cardiac and vascular surgeons. Datascope believes that the peripheral stent products are an attractive addition to Intervascular's product portfolio and will benefit from Intervascular's marketing, sales, clinical education / training, and new product development capabilities.

"We are very confident that this agreement represents a unique opportunity to strengthen and reinforce Sorin's technological leadership and awareness in the interventional cardiology market, benefiting from Datascope's sales and distribution network", said Franco Vallana, President Cardiac Surgery Business Unit and Chief Scientific Officer of Sorin Group.

"We believe that Sorin's peripheral vascular stents will be an attractive addition to InterVascular's portfolio," said InterVascular President Nino Laudani. "We look forward to leveraging our capabilities in marketing, sales, clinical education and training, as well as product development to accelerate the adoption of these Sorin products. Our strength in the cardiovascular surgery call point, as well as our commitment to technology innovation, should enable us to increase peripheral stent sales and expand the overall adoption rate of stents by vascular surgeons and interventionalists."

The worldwide market for peripheral vascular stents and PTA balloons, excluding the United States and Japan, is estimated at $192 million annually, and growing due to an increase in diagnostic procedures, the demographics of the aging population and the higher incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and hypercholesterolemia - all leading causes of PAD.

About the Sorin Group

The Sorin Group (Reuters code: SORN.MI), a world leader in the development of medical technologies for cardiac surgery, offers innovative therapies for cardiac rhythm dysfunctions, interventional cardiology and the treatment of chronic kidney diseases. Sorin Group

includes: Dideco, CarboMedics, Inc., COBE Cardiovascular, Inc., Stockert, Mitroflow, ELA Medical, Inc., Sorin Biomedica, Bellco and Soludia. Sorin Group has more than 4,500 employees working at facilities in more than 80 countries throughout the world to serve over 5,000 public and private treatment centers.

About InterVascular and Datascope Corp.

InterVascular, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Datascope Corp., is a leading worldwide supplier of a full range of polyester, collagen-coated knitted and woven vascular grafts and patches.

Datascope Corp. is a diversified medical device company that designs, manufactures and markets proprietary products for clinical health care markets in interventional cardiology and radiology, cardiovascular and vascular surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine and critical care. The Company has four product lines aggregated into two reporting segments, Cardiac Assist / Monitoring Products and Interventional Products / Vascular Grafts. The Company's products are sold throughout the world through direct sales representatives and independent distributors. Founded in 1964, Datascope is headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. For news releases, webcasts and other Company information please visit Datascope's website, www.datascope.com .

For more information:

www.sorin.com

www.datascope.com

CONTACT: Sorin Group Marco Chiado Piat VP Corporate Development, Sorin Group Tel. +39-02-69969741 or Marilena Giavara Director, Investor Relations, Sorin Group Tel. +44-20-70038730 e-mail: marilena.giavara@sorin.com or Datascope Corp. Scott D. Kantor Chief Financial Officer, Datascope Corp. Tel. +1(201) 307-5490 e-mail: marco.chiadopiat@sorin.com