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        THERMEDICS COMMENCES CASH TENDER OFFER FOR THERMEDICS DETECTION

WOBURN, Mass., March 10, 2000 - Thermedics Inc. (ASE-TMD), a Thermo Electron
company, announced today that it has commenced its previously announced cash
tender offer of $8.00 per share for all outstanding shares of its Thermedics
Detection Inc. subsidiary. The offer and withdrawal rights will expire at
midnight on Thursday, April 6, 2000, unless the offer is extended. The tender
offer is part of a major reorganization plan under which Thermedics' parent
company, Thermo Electron Corporation (NYSE-TMO), will spin in, spin off, and
sell various businesses to focus solely on its core measurement and detection
instruments business.

The complete terms and conditions of the offer are set forth in the offer to
purchase, letter of transmittal, and other related materials being filed today
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies of the offer and
transmittal letter are being distributed to Thermedics Detection shareholders.

The goal of the tender offer is to bring Thermedics' and Thermo Electron's
combined equity ownership in Thermedics Detection to at least 90 percent. If
Thermedics and Thermo Electron achieve this 90-percent-ownership level,
Thermedics Detection would then be spun into Thermedics through a "short-form"
merger at the same cash price as the tender offer. Thermedics expects to
complete the spin-in of Thermedics Detection in the second quarter of 2000.

The tender offer and proposed subsequent short-form merger require SEC clearance
of necessary filings. The short-form merger would not require Thermedics
Detection board or shareholder approval.

Thermedics Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets diverse product lines,
including implantable heart-assist devices and other biomedical products,
security instruments, and equipment that assures the quality of a wide variety
of consumer products and bulk materials. Thermedics is a public subsidiary of
Thermo Electron Corporation. More information is available on the Internet at
http://www.thermo.com/subsid/tmd1.html.

The following constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking
statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by
such forward-looking statements are set forth under the heading "Forward-looking
Statements" in Exhibit 13 to the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the
year ended January 2, 1999. These include risks and uncertainties relating to:
government regulation and industry standards, competition and technological
change, intellectual property rights, reimbursement by insurers for medical
procedures, medical community acceptance of medical devices, availability of
materials and components, product liability, international operations, and the
company's spinout and acquisition strategies.