EXHIBIT 99


PRESS RELEASE

                              Contact:  Dan Bevevino
                                        Vice President & CFO
                                        (412) 733-0235


                  WARD, RINDELS NAMED TO NEW RESPIRONICS POSTS
                  --------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH, PA, September 4, 1997--RESPIRONICS, INC. (NASDAQ/NMS Symbol: RESP)
today announced appointments to two newly established corporate positions.

Dr. Bruce D. Ward was named vice president, new product development process, and
Eugene A. Rindels was appointed chief information officer.  Both executives
joined the Pittsburgh-based supplier of respiratory therapy systems and
equipment on September 2.

Dr. Ward's 25-year career in the medical products industry includes broad
experience in research and development leadership positions.  Most recently,
he was vice president, technology for Meridian Medical Technology, a Columbia,
Maryland firm concentrating in noninvasive cardiology diagnostic devices.

Previously, Dr. Ward led the new product development effort at St. Jude Medical,
St. Paul, Minnesota and, from 1986 to 1992, served as vice president, technology
development for the Hospital Products Group of Pfizer Inc., the New York-based
pharmaceutical company.  Prior to joining Pfizer, he spent seven years with
Baxter Healthcare (American Hospital Supply) as vice president, business
development.  He began his business career as a senior research scientist for
the Utah Biomedical Test Laboratory in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Ward holds bachelor's and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from
the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Arizona, respectively.
Subsequently, he was a 1969-70 National Institute of Health biomedical
postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington and received a master's
degree in business administration from the Keller Graduate School, Chicago,
Illinois, in 1979.

 
In his new post, Mr. Rindels will assume responsibility of the company's
information systems organization.  He joins Respironics from Perot Systems
Corporation, where he served as director of service delivery and operating
platforms since early 1996.  Previously, Mr. Rindels spent five years with the
Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.  As a system and
network engineer for the Institute's Computer Emergency Response Team from 1993
to 1996, he was engaged in the development and administration of the project's
system network.  Earlier, he served as manager of the SEI Fault Tolerant Systems
Computer Laboratory.

From 1979 to 1991, Mr. Rindels served in systems-based assignments of escalating
responsibility with the United States Marine Corps.  In addition to the private
sector positions held since leaving active duty, he has been communications and
computer systems officer for the 171st Air Refueling Wing of the Pennsylvania
Air National Guard.

Mr. Rindels is a 1991 graduate of National University, San Diego.  He also
completed computer science program requirements at the University of Hawaii and
Tidewater Community College, Virginia.

Respironics, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and sells respiratory medical
products for use in the home, hospitals, and in emergency care situations.  The
company was awarded the American Association for Respiratory Care's annual
Zenith Award for quality of products and service for the third time in the past
four years.  Additionally, the November 4, 1996 issue of Forbes magazine
includes Respironics in the publication's annual list of "The Best 200 Small
Companies in America."

            For additional information on Respironics' products and
          activities, look on the company's home page located on the
                               World Wide Web at
                              www.respironics.com.

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