Devices

 News Release - September 12, 2006

Conceptus Announces Partnerships Now in Place with All Major Hysteroscope Manufacturers

Gyrus ACMI and Olympus Surgical America Newly Added

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Sept. 12, 2006--Conceptus, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPTS ) today announced that Olympus Surgical America and Gyrus ACMI have signed agreements with Conceptus to become preferred hysteroscope partners to further assist physicians in moving the Essure® procedure for permanent birth control into the office setting. According to Millennium Research, Conceptus now has partnerships with the four major manufacturers who control 90% of the U.S. hysteroscope market. These manufacturers have a combined sales force of 350 representatives to promote office based hysteroscopic procedures including the Essure procedure. In July 2005, Conceptus announced partnerships with KARL STORZ Endoscopy America, Inc. and Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation.

The relationships are designed to deliver hysteroscope services to doctors' offices throughout the United States. As part of these agreements, the Conceptus sales force will be equipped with small-diameter hysteroscopes from all manufacturers, to be used in the demonstration and training of the Essure procedure.

"We have experienced 51% sales growth quarter to quarter among the private practicing physicians in our office business since the beginning of this year," said Mark Sieczkarek, president and CEO of Conceptus. "All parties are experiencing significant value from these partnerships, but the real winners are patients and physicians who are receiving the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure in the comfort of the office setting."

"This is a perfect time for the partnership of Gyrus ACMI and Conceptus. With insurance reimbursement trends moving positively in the direction of office-based procedures, we recognize the important role that this partnership can play in enabling gynecologists to easily move procedures from the hospital to the office, while continuing to provide a high level of patient care and safety," stated Andy Zappas, President & CEO, Urology & Gynecology division of Gyrus Group.

"Olympus Surgical America is excited to formalize a cooperative marketing partnership with Conceptus to promote the Essure procedure. Over the past four years the Olympus 5.5 mm hysteroscopy system has assisted in providing patient care and safety, as well as facilitated the physician's ability to accurately place the Essure micro-inserts. With this opportunity we look to maximize product support and training to physicians and their staff. As the trend toward office hysteroscopy continues to increase, Olympus and Conceptus will have a positive impact on the growth and direction of office-based gynecology," stated Richard Reynolds, Vice President, Olympus Surgical America.

About the Essure® Procedure

The Essure procedure deploys a soft micro-insert into the fallopian tube through the cervix using a minimally invasive transcervical tubal access catheter. Once in place, the device is designed to elicit tissue growth in and around the micro-insert to form an occlusion or blockage in the fallopian tube. An Essure procedure does not require cutting or penetrating the abdomen and can be performed in a less costly procedure setting without general anesthesia. A woman is able to return home about 45 minutes after the procedure is completed. There is a three-month waiting period after the procedure during which women must use another form of birth control. The Essure procedure is 99.80% effective after four years of follow-up. The Essure procedure has been demonstrated in a small portion of the women undergoing clinical studies to be 99.74% effective based on 5 years of follow-up. Five year follow-up of all patients in clinical trials is ongoing.

About Conceptus

Conceptus, Inc. manufactures and markets the Essure Permanent Birth Control system, an innovative medical device and procedure designed to provide a non-incisional alternative to tubal ligation, which is currently the leading form of birth control worldwide. The availability of the Essure procedure in the U.S. is expected to open up a market currently occupied by incisional tubal ligation and vasectomy, which combined account for over 1 million procedures annually.

Additional information about the Essure procedure is available at www.essure.com or by calling the Essure Information Center at 1-877-ESSURE1. Additional information about Conceptus is available at www.conceptus.com or by calling 1-877-ESSURE2.

About Gyrus ACMI

ACMI is a Gyrus Group PLC company headquartered in Southborough, Massachusetts. For nearly 100 years, ACMI has supplied the medical community with the finest medical instruments available for minimally invasive surgery focused in the areas of gynecology, general surgery, urology and other clinical specialties.

About Olympus Surgical America

Olympus Surgical America is an operating division of Olympus Surgical & Industrial America Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, Japan. The Olympus Corporation is a major international company operating in the industrial, medical and consumer markets, specializing in optics, electronics and precision engineering.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties. Discussions regarding growth in in-office procedures, the performance of Essure in the office setting, and other matters discussed in this release, may differ significantly from the discussion of such matters in the forward-looking statements. Such differences may be based upon factors such as strategic planning decisions by management, re-allocation of internal resources, decisions by insurance companies, scientific advances by third parties, and introduction of competitive products, as well as those factors set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: Conceptus

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