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 25, 2001 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 September 28, 2001. /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP - ------------------------------------- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP San Jose, California February 7, 2002