Launch of New System/Placing

AORTECH INTERNATIONAL PLC
30 July 1999

                            
                AORTECH INTERNATIONAL plc
                            
  Launch of Continuous Cardiac Output Monitoring System
                            
          Placing to Raise £3m before expenses
                            
AorTech  International plc, ('AorTech' or 'the  Company')
the Scottish-based manufacturer of cardiovascular devices
announces  the  launch  of  its True  Continuous  Cardiac
Output Monitoring System.  This system represents a major
breakthrough in the management of critically ill patients
& patients undergoing major surgery cardiac output.

*    Agreements  concluded  to  secure  rights   to   the
     intellectual  property, including the  USA  patents,
     for  the  innovative new Continuous  Cardiac  Output
     Monitoring System.

*    Development  work  and  Phase  1  clinical  trials
     successfully completed.

*    Product  addresses shortcomings in current  clinical
     procedures. Significant potential cost savings.

*    Market   is  currently  estimated  at  approximately
     US$200 million but will show significant growth with
     introduction of AorTech's new system.

*    All other projects on schedule and on budget.

*    Elast-Eon - Evaluation Agreements signed with  five
     major corporations.

*    Core business continuing to improve.


Gordon Wright, Chairman, commented:

'..  this system represents a major breakthrough  in  the
monitoring of patients' cardiac output in intensive care,
coronary  care  units  and operating  theatres.  TruCCOMS
could  save  significant costs through  improved  patient
management and shorter hospital stays.

'The  expansion  of  AorTech's  range  of  products   and
services  is  already  having a positive  effect  on  the
Company's turnover and results .. .'

Samer   Nashef,  Consultant  Cardiac  Surgeon, Papworth
Hospital, commented:

'The medical community has long sought a device that  can
continuously  monitor  cardiac  output  in  patients   on
intensive  care units, coronary care units and  operating
theatres.   Such  a  device  would  help  in  caring  for
critical  patients  by  providing  prompt  diagnosis  and
allowing timely intervention.  The early clinical results
from  AorTech's new continuous cardiac output  monitoring
system appear to indicate that the system would meet this
important clinical need'
                                                         
                                             30 July 1999

THERE  WILL BE AN ANALYST MEETING TODAY (FRIDAY 30  JULY)
AT 11:00 AT COLLEGE HILL, 29 GRESHAM STREET, LONDON EC2

Enquiries:

AorTech International plc               01698 746699
Gordon Wright, Chairman
Eddie McDaid, Managing Director

College Hill                            0171 457 2020
Michael Padley
Margot Cowhig

   For further information, visit AorTech's website at
                     www.aortech.com

Placing

AorTech  International plc announces that it proposes  to
raise  approximately £2.88 million (net of  expenses)  by
way of a Placing principally with institutional investors
of 3,595,106 New Ordinary Shares at 85p per share.

The  funds  raised  will be used to acquire  intellectual
property   rights,  to  finalise  clinical   trials   and
undertake  the  initial  commercialisation   of   a   new
Continuous Cardiac Output Monitoring System ('TruCCOMS'),
to  continue  with the next stage of development  of  the
Company's  new synthetic tri-leaflet heart valve  and  to
make  any  business  acquisitions the  Company  considers
appropriate.

The  Placing  is  conditional,  inter  alia,  on  certain
resolutions being passed at an EGM of the Company.

CCOMS - Alba Critical Care Limited

We  are  pleased to have concluded agreements  to  secure
rights  to the intellectual property, including  the  USA
patents,  for the innovative TruCCOMS.  In the Directors'
view, this system represents a major breakthrough in  the
monitoring  of patients' cardiac output both  during  and
after surgery.

The  system,  which  consists of  a  disposable  catheter
linked to an analytical and display monitor that provides
immediate  response and continuous monitoring of  cardiac
output,  will  introduce to the medical device  market  a
product  which addresses shortcomings in the current 
clinical assessment technology during surgical procedures 
and intensive care.

Development  work has completed during the last  eighteen
months  and  the first phase of clinical trials  confirms
the  accuracy,  fast response and real  time  capability.
Market enquiries indicates that the TruCCOMS will provide
improved  patient  management information  which  is  not
currently    available   to   surgeons,    anaesthetists,
cardiologists and critical care specialists.

In  parallel with the conclusion of second phase clinical
trials  of TruCCOMS, which is scheduled for mid-September
this  year, we shall be progressing towards both European
and  USA  regulatory approval.  The Directors are seeking
to obtain these approvals by December 1999.  If these are
obtained,  the  Directors anticipate that the  technology
will be ready to enter intensive care units and operating
theatres by the end of December 1999.  The achievement of
the  Federal Drug Administration approval will allow  the
Group to market TruCCOMS in the USA.

AorTech  intends to commercially manufacture TruCCOMS  at
its facility in Scotland.

The  present  world-wide market of  approximately  US$200
million  will, the Directors believe, increase  with  the
introduction of our new system.

The  acquisition  of this intellectual property  together
with  the  development of TruCCOMS  to  date  through  to
clinical  trials represents a major breakthrough  by  the
Company  and will, the Directors believe, result in  real
growth in shareholder value.

The  consideration for the acquisition of the  rights  to
the  TruCCOMS product will be settled by the issue  of  a
maximum of one million Ordinary Shares in April 2000  and
a  cash  payment  of  US$600,000 to  the  vendor  Ami-med
Corporation Inc. ('Ami-med').  Ami-med will also  receive
a  6.5%  shareholding in Alba, a subsidiary  of  AorTech,
with  options to increase this shareholding to up to  24%
depending on the achievement of various milestones.

Current Trading

The   financial  year  to  31  March  1999  was  one   of
significant   progress.   On  the  one  hand,   AorTech's
existing business of manufacturing and distributing heart
valves  and  associated products increased  substantially
during  the  year  with a 54% increase  in  turnover  and
significantly  reduced losses, and, on the  other,  major
milestones  were  achieved  in  the  development  of  new
innovative products in the medical device sector.

Elastomedic has concluded Evaluation Agreements with five
major  corporations  for   use  of  its  biomaterials  in
medical  device applications other than the new synthetic
tri-leaflet heart valve.

Future Prospects

The   expansion  of  AorTech's  range  of  products   and
services, which has been previously announced, is already
having  a  positive effect on the Company's turnover  and
results  and the Directors expect that this will continue
to   be  reflected  during  the  course  of  the  current
financial year.

The  acquisition and development, through our  subsidiary
Alba,  of the new TruCCOMS demonstrates our determination
not  only to expand further our product base but also  to
introduce  further innovative products with, we  believe,
significant  profit  potential,  to  the  medical  device
market.   Obtaining  regulatory  approval  for  TruCCOMS,
during  the course of the current financial year together
with  the  likelihood  of  income  commencing  will,   we
anticipate, have a substantial benefit for the  long-term
future growth of AorTech.

Details of the Placing

The  Company  has entered into a Placing  Agreement  with
Bell  Lawrie Wise Speke which is conditional, inter alia,
on the passing of Resolutions to be proposed at an EGM of
the  Company to be held on 26 August 1999 and on the  New
Ordinary  Shares  being  admitted  to  trading  on   AIM.
Application has been made for the New Ordinary Shares  to
be  admitted to trading on AIM and it is anticipated that
they  will  be  admitted to trading on AIM on  27  August
1999.   The New Ordinary Shares will rank pari  passu  in
all  respects  with  the Existing Ordinary  Shares.   Ian
Cameron,  Director will be allocated 12,000 New  Ordinary
Shares in the Placing at 85p per share.

A   Circular  containing  details  of  the  Placing,  the
acquisition of the rights to TruCCOMS and Notice  of  the
EGM is expected to be dispatched together with the Report
&   Accounts  for  the  year  ended  31  March  1999   to
shareholders later today.