Acquisition

Smiths Group PLC
1 November 2001

Smiths Group News Release

London, 1 November 2001
For immediate release

Smiths adds to Medical technologies with US acquisition

Smiths Group has acquired Bivona Medical Technologies, a leading US supplier
of silicone tubes used in anaesthesia and critical care. It has been acquired
from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation for $35.6 million. Bivona
significantly extends Smiths Medical's core product range of single-use
disposable devices, adding new product and material technologies and
strengthening its position in the market for paediatric devices.

Commenting on the acquisition, chief executive Keith Butler-Wheelhouse said:
'Vital to the continued success of our Medical division is the regular
introduction of new products. We achieve this through a growing level of R & D
and also by acquiring innovative businesses such as Bivona. This company will
provide an excellent fit with our airway management business, enhancing our
core Medical activities by adding a well established range of high-margin
devices. This will provide an exciting new dimension to our global
operations.'

Bivona is a specialist supplier of silicone tracheostomy tubes for specific
applications in hospital, and long-term use outside the hospital by patients
who require a mechanical ventilator. Its other specialisation is endotracheal
tubes, reinforced with wire to meet special surgical/anatomical requirements.
These are used to maintain an airway through the mouth to the lungs during
anaesthesia.

Annual sales of Bivona products are $21 million and the company has a strong
record of annual growth. With less than 20 per cent of sales currently outside
the US, Bivona is expected to realise considerable advantage from Smiths
Medical's world-wide distribution network, particularly in Europe and Japan.

Bivona's silicone products complement the extensive Portex range of single-use
devices manufactured in the US and UK and marketed world-wide. Portex tubes,
made of PVC, are lower cost, more rigid devices, typically used for short
periods. For some applications, particularly in babies and infants, and for
long-term use, a softer material such as silicone is preferred.

Bivona employs 260 people at Gary, Indiana, near Chicago. The consideration of
$35.6 million was paid in cash and completion of the acquisition was
simultaneous with the signing of the purchase agreement.

Smiths Medical has annual sales of £453m and profits of £93m. In addition to
airway management products, its key activities include pain management,
temperature management, needle protection, hospital and ambulatory infusion
systems, critical care monitoring, vascular access, and women's healthcare.

Smiths Group is a global business with market-leading positions in advanced
aerospace systems; mechanical and polymer seals; medical devices and critical
care equipment; and interconnect products. Further information can be found on
the company's website: www.smiths-group.com.

-ends-

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