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For information contact:
Joni Morford, Communicore
714/721-8081
jmorford@communicore.com


ELECTROSCOPE INTRODUCES SIMPLIFIED SYSTEM TO INCREASE 
PATIENT SAFETY DURING LAPAROSCOPIC ELECTROSURGERY


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.....November 18, 1996.....Boulder, 
Colo.....ElectroScope, Inc., (NASDAQ: ESCP) maker of the only safety system that 
eliminates the risk of stray electrical burns during minimally invasive monopolar 
electrosurgery, today announced the availability of its newest product: The 
Universal Active Electrode Monitoring (AEMª) Instrument System.  Developed in 
response to surgical staff feedback, the Universal System will reduce set-up time and 
simplify installation of the company's patented AEM patient safety product, the 
Electroshield Monitoring System¨.

Created specifically for use with the Electroshield monitor, the Universal System is 
an adaptable connection system that eliminates the need for multiple cord 
connector sets and provides for rapid connection of instruments within the sterile 
field.  The system can provide shielding to other manufacturers' instruments, or it 
can be used with ElectroScope's interchangeable scissors, dissectors, and grasper jaw 
inserts.  The Universal System reduces the number of steps necessary for surgical 
staff to connect the Electroshield monitor to the electrosurgical generator and 
instruments.  Considering the complexity of pre-surgical preparation, this 
technology will provide easier application of the only safety system available for the 
most popular form of minimally invasive surgery in the United States.

Roger C. Odell, President and Chief Executive Officer of ElectroScope, explained 
the advantages of the Universal AEM Instrument System.  "The surgical staff will 
find this new system extremely user friendly and simple," Odell said.  "The 
elimination of multiple cord sets and elaborate connection procedures will allow for 
easier monitor setup, making it easier than ever for surgeons and hospitals to 
protect patients against stray electrical burns during minimally invasive monopolar 
electrosurgery."

The monopolar electrosurgical technique is currently used by 80 percent of 
surgeons during minimally invasive surgery because of its versatility and superior 
ability to cut and coagulate (clot) tissue.  By the year 2000, minimally invasive 
surgery is predicted to account for 40 percent of all urological, 50 percent of all 
general, and 70 percent of all gynecological surgeries, making this one of the most 
rapidly expanding surgical procedures.  However, due to the limited "keyhole" field 
of vision through the laparoscope during minimally invasive surgery, burns outside 
of the surgical site can go undetected when electrical energy escapes through 
damaged insulation or capacitive coupling--a phenomenon in which oscillating 
electrical fields can heat body tissue through intact insulation by alternately 
attracting and repelling ions that occur naturally in tissue.  These stray burns can 
cause tissue injury and organ perforation, and if left untreated, they can result in 
peritonitis, hemorrhaging, and death.  In a recently published survey taken at an 
American College of Surgeons meeting, 18 percent of laparoscopic surgeons 
reported that they personally had experienced complications during minimally 
invasive surgery due to the release of stray electrical energy, and 54 percent said 
they knew of another surgeon who had.

ElectroScope created the Electroshield Monitoring System to address the risks 
associated with minimally invasive monopolar electrosurgery.  This major 
development in electrosurgical patient safety uses a combination of electrical 
insulation and electronic monitoring to prevent the release of stray electrical energy 
outside the surgical site and notifies the surgeon if potentially dangerous electrical 
energy is present.  The Electroshield Monitoring System is the only product 
available that completely eliminates the risk of stray electrical burns during 
monopolar electrosurgery and that can universally be applied to all monopolar 
electrosurgical procedures, offering all patients the same standard of care.

ElectroScope, Inc., was founded in 1991 to address the risks associated with 
laparoscopic monopolar electrosurgery and to develop and market its patented 
electrosurgical safety system: Active Electrode Monitoring.  In 1994, ElectroScope 
introduced the Electroshield Monitoring System, a major development in 
electrosurgical patient safety that prevents the release of stray electrical energy 
outside the surgical site.  ElectroScope is located in Boulder, Colo., and employs 43 
people. 


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