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):
  
                                 September 29, 1998
  
                     ----------------------------------------
  
  
                                   THERMEDICS INC.
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
  Massachusetts                    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>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
        This Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of
  risks and  uncertainties.  Important  factors that could cause actual results to
  differ  materially from those indicated by such  forward-looking  statements are
  set forth  under the  heading  "Forward-looking  Statements"  in  Exhibit  13 to
  Thermedics Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 1998.
  These include risks and  uncertainties  relating to:  government  regulation and
  industry standards,  competition and technological change, intellectual property
  rights,  reimbursement  by insurers for medical  procedures,  medical  community
  acceptance of medical devices, availability of materials and components, product
  liability,  international operations,  Thermedics Inc.'s spinout and acquisition
  strategies,   and  the   potential   impact  of  the  year  2000  on  processing
  date-sensitive information.
  
  Item 5.     Other Events
  
        On September 29, 1998, Thermedics Inc.'s majority-owned  subsidiary Thermo
  Cardiosystems  Inc. ("Thermo  Cardiosystems")  issued a press release announcing
  that  the  U.S.  Food  and  Drug  Administration  ("FDA")  has  approved  Thermo
  Cardiosystems' electric HeartMate(R) left ventricular-assist system ("LVAS") for
  commercial sale as a bridge to heart transplant.  The electric HeartMate LVAS is
  an implantable heart-assist system designed to allow heart-transplant candidates
  to return home while waiting for a donor heart.
  
        In addition,  on September 29, 1998,  Baxter Healthcare  Corporation,  the
  principal U.S. operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc., announced that
  it has  received  pre-market  approval  from  the FDA for  its  Novacor(R)  Left
  Ventricular Assist System in the United States as a bridge to heart transplant.
  
  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.
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  
  
  
        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 30th day of September, 1998.
  
  
  
                                            THERMEDICS INC.
  
  
  
                                            By:/s/ Kenneth J. Apicerno
                                               Kenneth J. Apicerno
                                               Treasurer
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 3935}]
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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):
  
                                 September 29, 1998
  
                     ----------------------------------------
  
                                   THERMEDICS INC.
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  Massachusetts                    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)
  This Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of
  risks and  uncertainties.  Important  factors that could cause actual results to
  differ  materially from those indicated by such  forward-looking  statements are
  set forth  under the  heading  "Forward-looking  Statements"  in  Exhibit  13 to
  Thermedics Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 1998.
  These include risks and  uncertainties  relating to:  government  regulation and
  industry standards,  competition and technological change, intellectual property
  rights,  reimbursement  by insurers for medical  procedures,  medical  community
  acceptance of medical devices, availability of materials and components, product
  liability,  international operations,  Thermedics Inc.'s spinout and acquisition
  strategies,   and  the   potential   impact  of  the  year  2000  on  processing
  date-sensitive information.
  
  Item 5.     Other Events
  
        On September 29, 1998, Thermedics Inc.'s majority-owned  subsidiary Thermo
  Cardiosystems  Inc. ("Thermo  Cardiosystems")  issued a press release announcing
  that  the  U.S.  Food  and  Drug  Administration  ("FDA")  has  approved  Thermo
  Cardiosystems' electric HeartMate(R) left ventricular-assist system ("LVAS") for
  commercial sale as a bridge to heart transplant.  The electric HeartMate LVAS is
  an implantable heart-assist system designed to allow heart-transplant candidates
  to return home while waiting for a donor heart.
  
        In addition,  on September 29, 1998,  Baxter Healthcare  Corporation,  the
  principal U.S. operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc., announced that
  it has  received  pre-market  approval  from  the FDA for  its  Novacor(R)  Left
  Ventricular Assist System in the United States as a bridge to heart transplant.
  
  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
  
        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 30th day of September, 1998.
  
                                            THERMEDICS INC.
  
                                            By:/s/ Kenneth J. Apicerno
                                               Kenneth J. Apicerno
                                               Treasurer