Exhibit 99.1

Possis' New AngioJet(R) Ultra Thrombectomy System Sees First Human Use


    MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2007--Possis Medical, Inc.
(NASDAQ:POSS) a developer, manufacturer and distributor of pioneering
medical devices used in endovascular procedures, today announced that
Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota was the first hospital to use
its new AngioJet Ultra Thrombectomy System. The next-generation Ultra
System, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in December for blood clot removal (thrombectomy), was
successfully used by physicians at the Mercy Heart & Vascular Center
in multiple thrombectomy procedures over the past two weeks.

    "AngioJet thrombectomy has been used in our labs for several years
now and this newest generation greatly improves the ease and time to
set up in emergent cases. The AngioJet System continues to deliver the
most potent extraction of thrombus of any device we use in our lab,"
said Dr. Randall Stark, director of the cardiac catheterization labs
at Mercy Heart & Vascular Center.

    The new AngioJet Ultra System includes an advanced
microprocessor-based console and family of disposable thrombectomy
sets designed to quickly and safely remove blood clots from arteries
and veins. Each thrombectomy set includes a catheter tailored to
safely and efficiently remove blood clots from a specific area of the
body.

    Said Dr. Abdul Akef, interventional cardiologist at Mercy Heart &
Vascular Center, "The new Ultra System's ease-of-use, combined with
the excellent deliverability of the catheters has proven to be
especially valuable in treating thrombus in coronary arteries and
bypass grafts. My fellow colleagues and I are very impressed with the
new AngioJet Ultra System."

    In addition to Mercy Hospital in Minnesota, the new Ultra System
has also been successfully introduced at several other U.S. hospitals,
including: Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, W. Va; Good
Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif.; The University of Tennessee
Medical Center, Knoxville, Tenn.; and Mercy Medical Center, Des
Moines, Iowa.

    Said Robert G. Dutcher, chairman, president and CEO of Possis
Medical, "We are extremely pleased with the initial performance,
acceptance and success of our new AngioJet Ultra Thrombectomy System.
We are at the beginning of the evaluation process and these initial
hospitals are rapidly turning to the Ultra System for its simple and
fast setup process, sleeker design, lighter weight, and handling
improvements that make it significantly easier to maneuver than the
previous generation AngioJet System."

    According to Dr. Ray V. Matthews, interventional cardiologist and
director of the cardiac catheterization labs at Good Samaritan in Los
Angeles, "AngioJet Thrombectomy has been a valuable tool for us for a
number of years. The new AngioJet Ultra System integrates all the
disposable components into one package, making it easier to set up and
the automation built into the Ultra Console has reduced the time it
takes to prepare the system for use."

    The Ultra System is Possis' next-generation, completely
re-engineered version of the company's proven, industry leading
AngioJet Rheolytic(TM) Thrombectomy System that has been used to treat
more than 300,000 patients to date worldwide. The Ultra System will
undergo customer evaluation at select institutions for several months.
Full market release in the U.S. market is expected in Spring 2007.

    About Possis Medical, Inc.

    Possis Medical, Inc., develops, manufactures and markets
pioneering medical devices for the large and growing cardiovascular
and vascular treatment markets. The Company's AngioJet System is the
world's leading mechanical thrombectomy system with FDA approval to
remove large and small thrombus from coronary arteries, coronary
bypass grafts, peripheral arteries and veins, and A-V grafts and
native fistulas.

    Certain statements in this press release constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Federal Securities
Laws. Some of these statements relate to the AngioJet Ultra System and
its anticipated performance, market potential and acceptance. These
statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions, and
entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking
statements, such as the effectiveness of our sales and marketing
efforts, and our ability to effectively manage new product development
timelines. A discussion of these and other factors that could impact
the Company's future results are set forth in the cautionary
statements included in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended July
31, 2006, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    CONTACT: Possis Medical, Inc.
             Jules L. Fisher, 763-450-8011
             Vice President, Finance and
             Chief Financial Officer
             jules.fisher@possis.com