KCI Launches Next Generation Wound Care Therapy Systems

OXFORD, England, August 31 /PRNewswire/ --

- With Photos

KCI, a leading global advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces
company, today announces the launch of its two new Vacuum Assisted Closure
(V.A.C.(R)) systems, InfoV.A.C.(R) and ActiV.A.C.(R).

These next generation V.A.C. (R) products were developed using in-depth
market research with healthcare professionals to ensure the products match
customer expectations in real life situations across both the acute and
homecare settings. A key driver for healthcare is to ensure continuity and
consistency of care.

The two systems include a number of developments for medical, scientific
and technological applications focused on ease of use. This ranges from
simple ergonomic design to the ability to monitor and track wound progress.

KCI's InfoV.A.C.(R) is designed to deliver better wound care in the
hospital by providing healthcare professionals with detailed information on
therapy delivered by V.A.C. (R) and the ability to track and view the wound
progression. And its counterpart, ActiV.A.C.(R), which is smaller and lighter
making it more mobile, includes an improved user-interface with touch-screen
technology. This feature is also shared by InfoV.A.C.(R), which ensures the
smooth transition of the patient from the hospital to home. Patient wound
types span from major acute to chronic wounds and include venous leg ulcers,
pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.

"KCI's V.A.C. (R) Therapy continues to be accepted as an excellent option
for the treatment of complex and even life-threatening wounds," explains
Frank DiLazzaro, Vice President and Regional Manager for Kinetic Concepts,
Inc. (KCI) "By improving patient's compliance and ensuring optimal delivery
of Negative Pressure Wound Treatment (NPWT), KCI's InfoV.A.C. (R) Therapy
System will improve upon the already outstanding outcomes for which V.A.C.
(R) Therapy is recognized globally."

The design of V.A.C. (R) Therapy ensures a moist wound environment,
controlled negative pressure and an interaction with the wound bed that
stimulates wound healing. It is commonly perceived that V.A.C. (R) Therapy is
a clear paradigm shift in wound healing. A key component of V.A.C. (R)
Therapy is its open cell reticulated foam structure. This structure creates a
wound interface that delivers evenly-distributed negative pressure to the
entire wound bed, resulting in clinically demonstrated improvements in wound
outcomes.

InfoV.A.C. (R) key features:

- Wound measurement and patient history

- Therapy History Report

- Seal Check(TM) - ability to detect audible and visual indicators

- Improved ergonomics

- Intuitive touch-screen technology

- SensaT.R.A.C.(R) Technology - for monitoring and maintaining
target pressure at wound site

ActiV.A.C. (R) key features:

- Smaller and lighter than predecessor

- Therapy History Report

- Seal Check(TM) - ability to detect audible and visual indicators

- Quieter operation

- Ergonomic design including improved canister attachment and
release

- Intuitive touch-screen technology

- SensaT.R.A.C.(R) Technology - for monitoring and maintaining
target pressure at wound site

KCI's innovative InfoV.A.C.(R) and ActiV.A.C. (R) Therapy system
enhancements are based on 'Voice of the Customer' input from patients and
caregivers. Kath Vowden, Nurse Consultant, Bradford Wound Healing Unit and a
key opinion leader in the area of advanced wound care, explains, "Time is
critical for patients and nurses, and the Seal Check(TM) feature saves time
in trying to achieve and maintain a closed seal."

The digital wound image analysis feature assists in wound measurement and
therefore helps in the documentation of wound healing and facilitates the
dissemination of wound information among multi-disciplinary teams. Here, for
the first time, InfoV.A.C. (R) brings a way for healthcare professionals to
standardize wound measurements. In addition, a chronological graphic history
of the wound can be made to analyse trends in the wound by recording the
wound healing progress, as a whole.

The clinical outcomes of V.A.C. (R) Therapy are documented with a large
body of clinical evidence to support its usage. Key to these outcomes are all
components involved in V.A.C. (R) Therapy. The therapy can be considered as
an integrated system with three key components: the units, the dressings and
SensaT.R.A.C.(R) technology. SensaT.R.A.C.(R) which is also a new development
from KCI, monitors and maintains target pressure at the wound site, whilst
improving patient comfort and compliance with improved design and
conformability.

About KCI

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. is a global medical technology company with
leadership positions in advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces. We
design, manufacture, market and service a wide range of proprietary products
that can improve clinical outcomes and can help reduce the overall cost of
patient care. Our advanced wound-care systems incorporate our proprietary
Vacuum Assisted Closure(R), or V.A.C.(R) Therapy technology, which has been
demonstrated clinically to help promote wound healing through unique
mechanisms of action and can help reduce the cost of treating patients with
serious wounds. Our therapeutic surfaces, including specialty hospital beds,
mattress replacement systems and overlays, are designed to address pulmonary
complications associated with immobility, to prevent skin breakdown and
assist caregivers in the safe and dignified handling of obese patients. We
have an infrastructure designed to meet the specific needs of medical
professionals and patients across all health care settings, including acute
care hospitals, extended care organizations and patients' homes, both in the
United States and abroad.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including
statements regarding the clinical evidence relating to V.A.C.(R) Therapy and
the potential impact of the launch of the InfoV.A.C.(R) Therapy System and
customer preference. These forward-looking statements are based on our
current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.
All information set forth in this release is as of its date, and we undertake
no duty to update this information. More information about the company is
described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
quarter ended June 30, 2007, on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's
website at http://www.sec.gov.

ActiV.A.C.(R)            InfoV.A.C.(R)
 
    Launch Date             2007                     2007
    Care Setting            Acute, Extended, Home    Acute, Extended
    Unit Weight             1.31 kg (2.9lbs)         2.89 kg (6.37lbs)
    Canister                300ml                    500ml and 1,000ml
 
                            Easy quick release       Easy quick release
    Battery Life            14 hours                 6 hours
    Pressure Monitoring
    system                  SensaT.R.A.C.(R)         SensaT.R.A.C.(R)
    User Interface          3.5 inch colour touch    5.5 inch colour touch
                            screen                   screen
    Pressure Range          25 to 200mmHg            25 to 200mmHg
    Alarm Features          - Alarms for:            - Alarms for:
 
                            - tubing blockages       - tubing blockages
 
                            - canister full          - canister full
 
                            - canister missing       - canister missing
 
                            - leaks in V.A.C.(R)     - leaks in V.A.C.(R)
                            Therapy Dressing System  Therapy Dressing System
 
                            - inactive therapy       - inactive therapy
 
                            - low pressure           - low pressure
 
                            - low battery            - low battery
    Advanced
 
    Features                                           - Seal Check(TM) for
                                                       easy negative
                                                       pressure seal
                                                       monitoring
 
                                                       - Wound Image
                                                       Analysis for wound
                                                       progress assessment
 
                            - Seal Check(TM) for       - Settings Guide
                            easy negative pressure
                            seal monitoring
 
                            - Single Touch Therapy   - Disposables Log
                            On/Off
                                                     - Settings
                            - Settings Guide         Confirmations
 
                            - Disposables Log
 
                            - Settings Confirmations   - Therapy History
                                                       Report
                            - Therapy History Report



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