MINNEAPOLIS — July 17, 2006 — Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Guardian® REAL-Time System, a doctor-prescribed continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system for improved diabetes management.  Especially well suited for diabetes patients who frequently monitor their glucose levels, the Guardian REAL-Time System is intended to help protect patients by alerting users to high and low glucose levels.  The REAL-Time information and retrospective glucose trend data provided by the Guardian REAL-Time System are designed to help patients more tightly control glucose levels.  Improved glucose control has been shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of certain long-term complications, including blindness, kidney failure, amputation, impotence, and heart disease.  The system will be available nationwide by the end of this year.