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                                                                      Exhibit 99

       NELLCOR PURITAN BENNETT NAMES DEAN O. MORTON TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS


PLEASANTON, CA -- APRIL 17, 1997 -- Nellcor Puritan Bennett (Nasdaq:NELL) today
announced the naming of Dean O. Morton to its board of directors. Mr. Morton,
age 65, was executive vice president, chief operating officer and a director of
Hewlett-Packard Company at the time of his retirement in October 1992.

Mr. Morton joined Hewlett-Packard in 1960. In 1977, he was elected an executive
vice president and named to oversee the company's operations in medical,
analytical and component products. In 1984, Mr. Morton was named chief operating
officer, and in 1988, he became general manager of the Computer Business
Organization and served as chairman of the company's Computer Business Executive
Committee. He was named to the chief executive office in 1990 where he was part
of the group responsible for overall company management.

Mr. Morton holds a bachelor of science degree in electronics from Kansas State
University and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard
University. In 1992, the Harvard Business School honored Mr. Morton with the
Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding professional accomplishments. Mr.
Morton is a member of the board of directors of ALZA Corporation, The Clorox
Company, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and has served as a public
member of the board of commissioners of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations. He is past vice chairman of the board of Stanford
University Hospital.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Mr. Morton to our board," said C. Raymond
Larkin, Jr., president and chief executive officer. "His long and distinguished
career in management with one of the world's premier technology companies and
his considerable experience in the field of healthcare will be valuable assets
to Nellcor Puritan Bennett."




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Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated is the worldwide leader in monitoring,
diagnosing and treating the respiratory-impaired patient across the continuum of
care.




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