EXHIBIT 23.1 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated October 28, 1999, relating to the financial statements and financial statement schedule, which appears in Varian, Inc's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 1, 1999. /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP San Jose, California March 3, 2000