TUG Delivers Cheer, Medication and Equipment to Young Patients and Helps

                   Raise Money for Make-A-Wish Foundation



    PITTSBURGH, Aug. 8 /EMWNews/ -- Aethon Inc. today announced general

availability of its train-themed "JR" autonomous mobile robot to children's

hospitals across the country. Also, Aethon will make a donation to the

national Make-A-Wish Foundation for each JR TUG that is deployed. The JR

TUG was initially introduced at the University of California -- San

Francisco (UCSF) Children's Hospital, and is currently delivering equipment

to patients at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.



    In addition, Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina,

has agreed to place a JR TUG into service early this fall. Levine

Children's Hospital, one of the newest and most technologically

sophisticated specialty hospitals in the country, opened its doors to

pediatric patients in December. The Levine robot is being funded by a grant

from the Dreamcatcher Society, a local philanthropic organization that

supports the hospital.



    Modeled after the title character in the children's book "The Little

Engine that Could," JR was originally developed to help grant a wish for

Jericho Rajninger, a seven-year old leukemia patient from Larkspur,

California, and was donated to UCSF Children's Hospital through the

Make-A-Wish Foundation.



    As part of his chemotherapy treatment Jericho had to take more than

4,000 pills. He realized that the prospect of all that medicine could be

frightening for other children. Jericho believed that having the

medications delivered by a robot modeled after a train might make the

prospect of all those pills more pleasant.



    "We were honored to make Jericho's wish to help other sick children a

reality," said Aldo Zini, CEO of Aethon. "We are extremely pleased that the

JR robots are being deployed in other children's hospitals and hope that

they will in some sense help sick children and their parents nationwide

cope with a difficult experience."



    JR is based on Aethon's TUG, a mobile autonomous robot that transports

medical equipment and supplies. JR has drawers in its "caboose" from which

medications can be drawn by nurses. The robot also features a conductor who

speaks to children with the voice of legendary voice over actor Don

LaFontaine. "Look out, here I come," "Thanks, from the bottom of my

caboose," "Pardon my caboose, I'm turning around," "Engines revved and

ready to go," and "Choo choo, gotta run" are among the phrases JR speaks.



    "Our JR TUG makes the delivery of equipment and supplies more efficient

while offering some cheer to our young patients," said Tom Lausten,

director of Pharmacy Services at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. "In

addition, staff is able to focus on patient care without having to worry

about the logistics of delivery."



    Children's hospitals interested in purchasing JR should visit

http://www.aethon.com/contact.html.

    About Aethon



    Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Aethon is a leader in affordable autonomous

mobile robots for healthcare supply chain management. In healthcare, the

company's patented technology platform is redefining hospital supply chain

logistics by automating the location, delivery and recovery of key assets.

The net result of Aethon's low-cost, easy-to-install, RFID-based asset

utilization solution is improved caregiver efficiency and satisfaction,

increased asset utilization, decreased equipment rentals, increased patient

safety and satisfaction, and improved regulatory compliance. Nearly 100

hospitals nationwide have deployed Aethon's TUG and HOMER robots. For more

information, visit http://www.aethon.com.



    About Levine Children's Hospital



    Levine Children's Hospital (LCH) is a 234-bed hospital located on the

main campus of Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Offering more than 30 pediatric specialties, LCH is the most comprehensive

children's hospital located between Atlanta GA and Washington DC. Levine

Children's Hospital is part of Carolinas HealthCare System, the largest

healthcare system in the Carolinas and the third largest public system in

the nation. For more information visit

(http://www.levinechildrenshospital.org)