content: 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):
  
                                   March 30, 1998
  
                      ________________________________________
  
  
                                  THERMEDICS INC.
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
         Delaware                  1-9567                 04-2788806
         (State or other        (Commission            (I.R.S. Employer
         jurisdiction of        File Number)        Identification Number)
         incorporation or
         organization)
  
  
         470 Wildwood Street
         Woburn, Massachusetts                                01888
         (Address of principal executive offices)          (Zip Code)
  
  
                                   (781) 938-3786
                           (Registrant's telephone number
                                including area code)
  PAGE
  <PAGE>
  
  
  
          Item 5.  Other Events
                   ------------
  
            On March 30, 1998, Thermedics Inc. (the "Company") approved a
          proposal to acquire, through a merger, all of the outstanding
          shares of common stock of its subsidiary Thermo Voltek Corp.
          ("Thermo Voltek") that the Company does not own at a price of
          $7.00 per share in cash.  The proposal was presented to Thermo
          Voltek on March 30, 1998.  The total transaction cost to the
          Company is estimated to be approximately $27 million, which
          includes approximately $5.25 million for the redemption of the
          outstanding Thermo Voltek 3/ percent convertible subordinated
          debentures due 2000.  The Company currently owns approximately 67
          percent of the outstanding common stock of Thermo Voltek.  The
          Company is a 58 percent-owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron
          Corporation ("Thermo Electron"), which in turn owns approximately
          3 percent of the outstanding common stock of Thermo Voltek.
  
             The merger is contingent upon, among other things, the
          negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement;
          receipt by the Thermo Voltek board of directors of an opinion by
          an investment banking firm that the Company's offer is fair to
          Thermo Voltek shareholders (other than the Company and Thermo
          Electron) from a financial point of view; the approval of the
          Thermo Voltek board of directors upon recommendation of a special
          committee of its independent directors; and clearance by the
          Securities and Exchange Commission of the proxy materials
          regarding the proposed transaction.
  
             On March 31, 1998,  a complaint naming the Company as a
          defendant, among others, regarding the Company's proposed
          acquisition of Thermo Voltek was filed in Delaware Chancery Court
          by a Thermo Voltek shareholder attempting to act on behalf of the
          public shareholders of Thermo Voltek.  The complaint alleges,
          among other things, that the proposed price of $7.00 per share is
          unfair and grossly inadequate.  The plaintiff is seeking
          injunctive and other appropriate relief.  A second lawsuit was
          also filed in Delaware Chancery Court by another Thermo Voltek
          shareholder on that date containing substantially similar
          allegations. 
  
  
  
          Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information
                   -----------------------------------------------------
          and Exhibits
          ------------
  
                   (a) Financial Statements of Business Acquired: not
                       applicable.
  
                   (b) Pro Forma Financial Information: not applicable.
  
                   (c) Exhibits: not applicable.
  
  
  
  
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  PAGE
  <PAGE>
  
  
  
  
  
               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, thereunto duly authorized, on
          this 3rd day of April, 1998.
  
  
  
                                               THERMEDICS INC.
  
  
                                               By:/s/ Sandra L. Lambert
                                                  ---------------------
                                                   Sandra L. Lambert
                                                   Clerk
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4792}]
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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):
  
                                   March 30, 1998
  
                      ________________________________________
  
                                  THERMEDICS INC.
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
         Delaware                  1-9567                 04-2788806
         (State or other        (Commission            (I.R.S. Employer
         jurisdiction of        File Number)        Identification Number)
         incorporation or
         organization)
  
         470 Wildwood Street
         Woburn, Massachusetts                                01888
         (Address of principal executive offices)          (Zip Code)
  
                                   (781) 938-3786
                           (Registrant's telephone number
                                including area code)
  PAGE
  Item 5.  Other Events
                   ------------
  
            On March 30, 1998, Thermedics Inc. (the "Company") approved a
          proposal to acquire, through a merger, all of the outstanding
          shares of common stock of its subsidiary Thermo Voltek Corp.
          ("Thermo Voltek") that the Company does not own at a price of
          $7.00 per share in cash.  The proposal was presented to Thermo
          Voltek on March 30, 1998.  The total transaction cost to the
          Company is estimated to be approximately $27 million, which
          includes approximately $5.25 million for the redemption of the
          outstanding Thermo Voltek 3/ percent convertible subordinated
          debentures due 2000.  The Company currently owns approximately 67
          percent of the outstanding common stock of Thermo Voltek.  The
          Company is a 58 percent-owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron
          Corporation ("Thermo Electron"), which in turn owns approximately
          3 percent of the outstanding common stock of Thermo Voltek.
  
             The merger is contingent upon, among other things, the
          negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement;
          receipt by the Thermo Voltek board of directors of an opinion by
          an investment banking firm that the Company's offer is fair to
          Thermo Voltek shareholders (other than the Company and Thermo
          Electron) from a financial point of view; the approval of the
          Thermo Voltek board of directors upon recommendation of a special
          committee of its independent directors; and clearance by the
          Securities and Exchange Commission of the proxy materials
          regarding the proposed transaction.
  
             On March 31, 1998,  a complaint naming the Company as a
          defendant, among others, regarding the Company's proposed
          acquisition of Thermo Voltek was filed in Delaware Chancery Court
          by a Thermo Voltek shareholder attempting to act on behalf of the
          public shareholders of Thermo Voltek.  The complaint alleges,
          among other things, that the proposed price of $7.00 per share is
          unfair and grossly inadequate.  The plaintiff is seeking
          injunctive and other appropriate relief.  A second lawsuit was
          also filed in Delaware Chancery Court by another Thermo Voltek
          shareholder on that date containing substantially similar
          allegations. 
  
          Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information
                   -----------------------------------------------------
          and Exhibits
          ------------
  
                   (a) Financial Statements of Business Acquired: not
                       applicable.
  
                   (b) Pro Forma Financial Information: not applicable.
  
                   (c) Exhibits: not applicable.
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  PAGE
  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, thereunto duly authorized, on
          this 3rd day of April, 1998.
  
                                               THERMEDICS INC.
  
                                               By:/s/ Sandra L. Lambert
                                                  ---------------------
                                                   Sandra L. Lambert
                                                   Clerk