content: <PAGE>
  
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                              Washington, D. C.  20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
  
       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  November 30, 1999
  
  
  
                                 ACUSON CORPORATION
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
  <TABLE>
  <S>                                <C>                                 <C>
           Delaware                                                                  94-2784998
  (State or other jurisdiction of          (Commission File No.)          (I.R.S. Employer Identification
   incorporation or organization)               1-10088                                Number
  </TABLE>
  
  
                                1220 Charleston Road
                              Mountain View, CA  94039
     (Address, including zip code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)
  
  
  
         Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (650) 969-9112
  
  
  
                    -------------------------------------------
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  <PAGE>
  
  Item 5.   Other Events.
  
            On September 15, 1999, Acuson Corporation ("Acuson"), a Delaware
  corporation entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization (the
  "Reorganization Agreement") with Ecton, Inc. ("Ecton") and Echo Acquisition
  Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acuson ("Merger
  Sub").  The description contained in this Item 5 of the transactions
  contemplated by the Reorganization Agreement is qualified in its entirety by
  reference to the full text of the Reorganization Agreement, a copy of which is
  attached as Exhibit 10.3 to Acuson's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with
  the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 16, 1999.
  
            The Reorganization Agreement contemplates that, subject to the
  satisfaction of certain conditions set forth therein, including the approval and
  adoption of the Reorganization Agreement by the requisite vote of Ecton's
  shareholders, Ecton would be merged into Merger Sub.  As a result of the merger
  of Ecton into Merger Sub (the "Merger"), Ecton would become a wholly-owned
  subsidiary of Acuson.  The Merger is intended to be a tax-free reorganization
  under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is intended to be
  accounted for as a purchase.
  
       Pursuant to the terms of the Reorganization Agreement, Acuson was to
  acquire 100% of all of the outstanding securities of Ecton in exchange for
  shares of Acuson common stock having a value as of the date of the
  Reorganization Agreement equal to $23 million (the "Closing Date Stock
  Consideration").  In addition, the Reorganization Agreement provides that up to
  $17 million is to be payable to Ecton shareholders in either shares of Acuson
  common stock and/or cash (the "Post-Closing Payments") depending on the gross
  profits attributable to the sale or license of Ecton's products achieved by
  Ecton through each of the four calendar years beginning on January 1st of 2000
  and ending on December 31, 2003.
  
       On November 30, 1999, Acuson, Ecton and Merger Sub entered into Amendment
  No. 1 to the Reorganization Agreement (the "Amendment").  The Amendment provides
  that, in addition to the Closing Date Stock Consideration, upon the closing of
  the Merger, Acuson will pay Ecton shareholders an aggregate of $4 million in
  cash.  The Amendment also contemplates that the payment of Post-Closing Payments
  to Ecton shareholders be based on the gross profits attributable to the sale or
  license of Ecton's products achieved by Ecton through June 30, 2004, and that
  the post-closing payment years upon which such calculations are to be made will
  be modified to be the twelve month period beginning on July 1 in a specified
  calendar year and ending on June 30 of the following calendar year.  The
  description contained in this Item 5 of the transactions contemplated by the
  Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the
  Amendment, a copy of which is attached to this Report as Exhibit 99.1.
  
       Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.
  
       (c)   Exhibit
  
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
  Exhibit No.                                       Description
  <S>             <C>
  99.1            Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization dated as of
                  November 30, 1999, among Acuson, Merger Sub and Ecton.
  </TABLE>
  
                                         2
  <PAGE>
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
  the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  
  
                                       Acuson Corporation
  
  
  
  Dated:  December 2, 1999
                                       By:  /s/Charles H. Dearborn
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Charles H. Dearborn
                                            Vice President of Human Resources
                                            and Legal Affairs, General Counsel and
                                            Secretary
  
                                         3
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text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                              Washington, D. C.  20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  November 30, 1999
  
                                 ACUSON CORPORATION
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  Delaware                                                                  94-2784998
  (State or other jurisdiction of          (Commission File No.)          (I.R.S. Employer Identification
   incorporation or organization)               1-10088                                Number
  1220 Charleston Road
                              Mountain View, CA  94039
     (Address, including zip code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)
  
         Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (650) 969-9112
  
                    -------------------------------------------
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  Item 5.   Other Events.
  
            On September 15, 1999, Acuson Corporation ("Acuson"), a Delaware
  corporation entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization (the
  "Reorganization Agreement") with Ecton, Inc. ("Ecton") and Echo Acquisition
  Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acuson ("Merger
  Sub").  The description contained in this Item 5 of the transactions
  contemplated by the Reorganization Agreement is qualified in its entirety by
  reference to the full text of the Reorganization Agreement, a copy of which is
  attached as Exhibit 10.3 to Acuson's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with
  the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 16, 1999.
  
            The Reorganization Agreement contemplates that, subject to the
  satisfaction of certain conditions set forth therein, including the approval and
  adoption of the Reorganization Agreement by the requisite vote of Ecton's
  shareholders, Ecton would be merged into Merger Sub.  As a result of the merger
  of Ecton into Merger Sub (the "Merger"), Ecton would become a wholly-owned
  subsidiary of Acuson.  The Merger is intended to be a tax-free reorganization
  under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is intended to be
  accounted for as a purchase.
  
       Pursuant to the terms of the Reorganization Agreement, Acuson was to
  acquire 100% of all of the outstanding securities of Ecton in exchange for
  shares of Acuson common stock having a value as of the date of the
  Reorganization Agreement equal to $23 million (the "Closing Date Stock
  Consideration").  In addition, the Reorganization Agreement provides that up to
  $17 million is to be payable to Ecton shareholders in either shares of Acuson
  common stock and/or cash (the "Post-Closing Payments") depending on the gross
  profits attributable to the sale or license of Ecton's products achieved by
  Ecton through each of the four calendar years beginning on January 1st of 2000
  and ending on December 31, 2003.
  
       On November 30, 1999, Acuson, Ecton and Merger Sub entered into Amendment
  No. 1 to the Reorganization Agreement (the "Amendment").  The Amendment provides
  that, in addition to the Closing Date Stock Consideration, upon the closing of
  the Merger, Acuson will pay Ecton shareholders an aggregate of $4 million in
  cash.  The Amendment also contemplates that the payment of Post-Closing Payments
  to Ecton shareholders be based on the gross profits attributable to the sale or
  license of Ecton's products achieved by Ecton through June 30, 2004, and that
  the post-closing payment years upon which such calculations are to be made will
  be modified to be the twelve month period beginning on July 1 in a specified
  calendar year and ending on June 30 of the following calendar year.  The
  description contained in this Item 5 of the transactions contemplated by the
  Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the
  Amendment, a copy of which is attached to this Report as Exhibit 99.1.
  
       Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.
  
       (c)   Exhibit
  Exhibit No.                                       Description
  99.1            Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization dated as of
                  November 30, 1999, among Acuson, Merger Sub and Ecton.
  2
  SIGNATURES
  
            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
  the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                       Acuson Corporation
  
  Dated:  December 2, 1999
                                       By:  /s/Charles H. Dearborn
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Charles H. Dearborn
                                            Vice President of Human Resources
                                            and Legal Affairs, General Counsel and
                                            Secretary
  
                                         3