Oakdale, Minn. (Oct. 23, 1996) -- Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN), the new information and imaging company recently spun off from 3M, today announced that it has installed its 1,000th 3M™ DryView™ 8700 Laser Imager by Imation™ in the Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Rochester, Minn., just nine months after the product was introduced.

Imation was the first company in the world to offer this technology to its customers in the 14" x 17" format preferred for use in radiology.

"The rapid acceptance of this product reflects the industry's need for a laser imager which both reduces costs and improves patient care," said Clifford Pinder, vice president, Medical Imaging Systems and Photo Color Products, Imation Corp. "Its impact has been so strong that the DryView 8700 Laser Imager has accounted for 35 percent of all laser imagers -- wet or dry -- installed worldwide this year."

While many factors have contributed to the early success of the product, foremost is the system's "dry" photothermographic process. "Because this product requires no wet chemistry, our customers are able to eliminate plumbing, construction and darkroom costs, plus the costs associated with buying, storing, maintaining and disposing of wet chemistry," said Pinder.

The DryView 8700 Laser Imager's more compact size and portability allow a broader range of application than wet chemistry laser imagers, meaning improved patient care in hospital, alternate care and mobile applications. The system also provides an excellent hard copy printer for computed radiography systems or networks.

A number of industry-related trends and practices also have encouraged adoption of this new technology, including:

• Managed care's capitated coverage plans, making the savings achieved with the Imation DryView 8700 Laser Imager more important than ever.
  
• Global demand: Worldwide interest in the product has meant installations by Imation in Europe and Latin America, in addition to the U.S. Similarly, adoption of this new technology is growing in the Asia/Pacific region.
  
• Original equipment manufacturers linking DryView Laser Imaging Systems to their CT, MRI and other electronic imaging modalities.
  
• Repeat customers: Many who initially purchased a system have ordered additional units; for example, the Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Pinder anticipates strong growth opportunities for the DryView Laser Imagers, especially with the addition of the company's new 8" x 10" format portable Imation™ DryView™ 8300 Laser Imager and the soon-to-be- released 11" x 14" format Imation™ DryView™ 8500 Laser Imager.

The success of the DryView 8700 Laser Imager has pushed Imation's total laser imager shipments since 1984 -- when the company introduced the industry's first wet laser imager -- to a total of more than 10,000 units. "This number demonstrates that our customers trust the quality, market leadership and value that we've built in the business over the past 12 years," said Pinder.

Imation, based in Oakdale, Minn., supplies a variety of products and services worldwide for the information processing industry, specializing in imaging applications and information storage.

Imation develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic imaging equipment and film for electronic medical imaging and X-ray systems. The company employs approximately 9,700 people worldwide. In 1995, revenues for the business units that comprise Imation, while still a part of 3M, were $2.2 billion.

Additional information about the company is available on its website at http://www.imation.com.

Copyright 1996 Imation. All rights reserved.