TUCSON, Ariz. – July 8, 2010 –
SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the SynCardia
temporary Total Artificial Heart, announced today that Michael
Garippa, the CEO and President of TandemHeart for the last 8 years,
has left the company to become SynCardia’s new president.
Rodger Ford will continue as SynCardia’s CEO, concentrating
on business development, while Mr. Garippa focuses on sales,
clinical support, training and marketing.

“Now that the Freedom™ portable driver is undergoing
an FDA IDE clinical study in the
U.S. and has received CE approval for use in Europe, stable Total
Artificial Heart patients* are able to wait for a matching donor
heart at home,” said Ford. “Michael’s experience
will provide the launching pad SynCardia needs to serve more of the
world’s top transplant centers and their patients.”

Mr. Garippa was recruited by TandemHeart in 2002 as a turnaround
expert and stayed on as CEO and President. He took the company from
an R&D firm that had lost an aggregate of $50 million and had
no commercial sales to a successful company with over $6 million in
net income in the past 24 months. The TandemHeart, which provides
short-term extracorporeal circulatory support, is currently being
used in more than 125 of the top cardiac centers in the U.S. as
recognized by U.S. News & World Report.

“The Total Artificial Heart has no equal,” said Mr.
Garippa. “It is the only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved
Total Artificial Heart in the world. There is no other approved
device that provides biventricular replacement for patients with
both sides of their heart failing.

“SynCardia already serves 30 of the top transplant centers
in the world, with an additional 22 centers currently undergoing
SynCardia certification training. The Freedom portable driver has
provided us with the opportunity to train additional transplant
centers in the U.S., Europe and Australia/New Zealand.”

Prior to joining TandemHeart, Mr. Garippa served as CEO and
President of Gateway HomeCare. In addition, Mr. Garippa was Founder
and CEO of Millennium HomeCare and The Prompt Care Companies. His
background also includes being National Sales Manager at Omni
Medical and Senior Analyst with the NYC Health and Hospitals
Corporation. Mr. Garippa has a master’s degree from New York
University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers
University.

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About SynCardia Systems, Inc.

SynCardia Systems, Inc. is the Tucson-based manufacturer of the
world’s only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total
Artificial Heart: the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart.
There have been more than 850 implants of the Total Artificial
Heart, accounting for more than 190 patient years of life on the
device. 

Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, the Total
Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to human heart
transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular
failure. The Total Artificial Heart is the only device that
provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 L/min through
both ventricles.

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Media Contact:

Don Isaacs

Vice President of Communications

SynCardia Systems, Inc.

Cell: (520) 955-0660