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July 7, 2004

ev3 and Invatec Announce Strategic Distribution Alliance

Alliance Expands ev3's Endovascular Product Line in United States

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (July 7, 2004) - ev3 Inc., a privately held endovascular medical device company, has entered into a strategic distribution alliance with Invatec s.r.l., a privately held company in Brescia, Italy. Under this exclusive alliance, ev3 will market and distribute Invatec's broad line of innovative endovascular products in the United States. Invatec products, widely used in Europe and Japan, will expand and complement ev3's product offerings, especially in the areas of peripheral angioplasty balloon catheters, balloon-expandable and self-expanding stent systems and guidewires. ev3 and Invatec also will work together to commercialize new Invatec technology for the emerging embolic protection and thrombectomy markets.

"This partnership strengthens ev3's market position and demonstrates our commitment to develop and deliver innovative products to our customers around the world," said James Corbett, president and chief executive officer, ev3 Inc. "This alliance will benefit both companies by broadening our endovascular portfolio with proven Invatec products, while Invatec gains access to the U.S. market. Additionally, our relationship is an opportunity to aggressively expand ev3's U.S. sales force and improve customer service and product support." Corbett also noted that the company plans to have the sales force trained to begin selling Invatec products in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2004.

"The U.S. represents the world's single-largest market for interventional technologies and is an important untapped opportunity for Invatec," said Andrea Venturelli, Invatec founder and chief executive officer. "ev3 and Invatec share the same desire to work closely with physicians to discover and develop new product ideas that can help them provide better patient care. ev3 is a committed and enthusiastic distribution partner for our products."

About Invatec

Founded in 1996 by Andrea Venturelli and Stefan Widensohler, Invatec is an independent, full-line cardiovascular and interventional vascular company serving customers throughout Europe and the world. Since its inception, Invatec has launched a number of innovative interventional tools, including PTA and PTCA stents and balloon catheters, cerebral protection technology, guidewires and vascular support accessories. The Invatec name represents a well established brand internationally and, the Invatec organization has been able to achieve a growing market share outside the United States, including Germany and Japan.

About ev3

Based in Plymouth, Minn., and founded in 2000, ev3 Inc. is a global medical device company that is focused on innovative endovascular technologies for the minimally invasive treatment of coronary, neurovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases and disorders. In 2001, ev3 established a strategic relationship with Micro Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ-MTIX), a leader in the market for catheter-based neurovascular devices. ev3 Inc. and Micro Therapeutics, Inc., are majority owned by ev3 LLC, a partnership organized by Warburg Pincus and The Vertical Group, two of the most successful institutional investors in the medical device industry. More information about ev3 and its products can be found at www.ev3.net

ev3, Protégé, Protégé GPS, SPIDER, SpideRX, X-SIZER, PLAATO, Intracoil, Paramount, Intrastent, AqWire, Nitrex and Goose Neck are trademarks of ev3 Inc.

Micro Therapeutics, Sapphire, Onyx, and Echelon are trademarks of Micro Therapeutics, Inc.