<PAGE>

                                  June 6, 1997

Arvind Patel
525 Alvarado
San Francisco, California

     Re:    SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE

Dear Arvind:

     This letter summarizes the agreement ("Agreement") that we have reached 
with respect to your employment with Oryx Technology Corp., a publicly traded 
Delaware corporation ("the Company"). Upon execution of this letter 
Agreement, you and the Company agree that the following sets forth the 
complete understanding regarding the cessation of your employment with the 
Company as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and in any 
other capacity with the Company or any of its subsidiaries, excluding your 
remaining as a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board.

     In return for your execution of this Agreement, you have resigned as
President and CEO of the Company and as an employee of any and all of its
subsidiaries. You will remain as a member of the Company's Board of Directors,
assuming the position as Chairman. In that capacity, you will be responsible for
assisting the Company by helping it to raise money and providing strategic
direction. You will report to and work with Phil Micciche, the new President and
CEO of the Company. In consideration of the release of all your claims and your
other obligations as set forth in this Agreement, the Company agrees to provide
you with 12 months severance payments payable through April 24, 1998 equivalent
to your monthly salary as of April 25, 1997, regardless of whether you obtain
other employment. The Company will continue your health care coverage through
the earlier of (i) April 25, 1998 or (ii) you have found full time other
employment. All severance payments will be made on the same schedule as
compensation is paid to the Company's employees. You cease being a full time
employee at April 25, 1997.

     Your 1996 stock option for 200,000 shares is hereby accelerated to 
become fully vested. In addition, you hold one additional separate fully 
vested non-statutory stock option for 100,000 shares of Company stock with an 
exercise price of $1.94, representing the closing bid price on the NASDAQ 
system on April 24, 1997. All of your options are hereby modified to have a 
term of ten years for their exercise from their grant date. You understand 
that failure to exercise the options within a limited period of time after 
you have ceased being an employee will cause them to be treated as 
non-statutory options. All of your options are set forth as EXHIBIT 1 
attached hereto. You agree that you have no other options than those in such 
EXHIBIT 1, AND THAT AS OF THE DATE HEREOF, 341,659 OF YOUR OPTIONS HAVE 
VESTED, INCLUDING THE 100,000 RECENTLY GRANTED OPTIONS. You agree to vote all 
shares or equity securities which you own or control, directly or

<PAGE>

Arvind Patel
June 6, 1997
Page 2


indirectly, of the Company, including any successor corporation which acquires
the Company or into which the Company may be merged and where the Company is not
the surviving entity, held by you or any person who succeeds to your ownership
of the shares in any and all matters as to which the shares are to be voted or a
stockholder consent is solicited as recommended or directed by the Board of
Directors of the Company (determined on the majority vote of the Board).

     You agree that you shall not solicit, or attempt to influence, directly or
indirectly, the vote of any stockholder contrary to or inconsistent with any
decision or position taken by the Board of Directors, including but not limited
to the Board's decision to change the Company's plans to fund or manage the
Company's SurgX operations. You agree to support any such decision of the Board
and to support fully the slate of nominees of the Board of Directors for the
1997 annual meeting and thereafter. You understand that satisfying the
obligations set forth in this paragraph is a condition precedent to the
Company's obligation to make the severance payments described above and that if
you fail to honor such obligations, the Company will be under no further
obligation and have no further liability to continue to make the severance
payments.

     You may keep your voice mail at the Company until the earlier of April 
25, 1998 or you obtain employment at another company. Subject to Phil 
Micciche's prior approval in each instance, secretarial assistance may be 
available for your use on Company business by the Company. You may retain the 
fax machine in your possession.

     You understand and agree that you are otherwise ineligible to receive 
any severance, continued health care coverage, stock, or stock options in the 
Company and that the aforementioned amounts represent more than the Company 
is obligated to provide you. You further agree that this offer is made as a 
part of a settlement specific to you. You agree that you have returned all 
Company owned property in your actual or constructive possession to the 
Company.

     In consideration for the benefits described above, you, on behalf of
yourself, your agents, assignees, attorneys, heirs, executors, and
administrators, hereby release the Company and its successors, assigns, parents,
subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders,
employees, agents, and representatives from:

     (a)     any and all claims, liens, demands, causes of action, obligations,
damages and liabilities, known or unknown, of any nature whatsoever, that you
may have now or may hereafter claim to have against the Company or its
successors, assigns, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, officers,
directors, shareholders, employees, agents, and representatives, arising
directly or indirectly out of, or in any way connected with or based upon, or
related in any way to, any and all claims under any state or federal
discrimination statute including, but not limited to, age, physical or mental
disability, medical condition, and any other claims covered

<PAGE>

Arvind Patel
June 6, 1997
Page 3


under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, the federal Age
Discrimination in Employment Act (as amended by the Older Workers' Benefit
Protection Act), and any claims of wrongful termination under state or federal
law, including claims for expenses and attorneys' fees in connection with such
claims; and

     (b)     any and all claims, liens, demands, causes of action, obligations,
damages and liabilities, known or unknown, of any nature whatsoever, that you
may have now or may hereafter claim to have against the Company or its
successors, assigns, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, officers,
directors, shareholders, employees, agents, and representatives, arising
directly or indirectly out of, or in any way connected with or based upon, or
related in any way to your employment with the Company, the termination of your
employment, or to any physical or mental harm or distress from such employment
or termination of such employment, including, without limitation, any and all
claims under California or federal statutory or decisional law pertaining to
wrongful discharge, discrimination, or breach of public policy.

     You waive all rights and remedies under Section 1542 of the California
Civil Code, which provides as follows:

          A general release does not extend to claims which the
          creditor does not know or suspect to exist in its favor at
          the time of executing the release, which if known by it must
          have materially affected its settlement with the debtor.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Agreement,
nothing herein changes the Company's obligations to indemnify you as required
under California Labor Code Section 2802 or any applicable Company insurance
policy affecting its officers, directors, and/or employees. You agree that if
the facts with respect to which this Agreement is executed are found hereafter
to be different from the facts which you now believe to be true, you expressly
accept and assume the risk of such possible differences in facts and agree that
this Agreement shall be and remain effective notwithstanding such differences in
facts.

     You understand and agree that during the course of your employment, you 
had access to proprietary or confidential information belonging to the 
Company. You understand and agree that you will not disclose, transfer, 
publish or otherwise use, either directly or indirectly, any of such 
information.

     You and the Company agree that confidentiality of the existence and 
terms of this Agreement is of the essence. You shall not disclose the terms 
and this Agreement, including without limitation, the nature and payment of 
consideration referred to in this Agreement, to any third party other than 
your legal counsel, tax advisor, and/or members of your immediate family. You 
further agree to make no voluntary statements regarding this Agreement except 
as may be

<PAGE>

Arvind Patel
June 6, 1997
Page 4


necessary for the purposes of audit, taxation returns or other disclosures
required by law or as may be reasonably necessary to conduct personal financial
business, and to take no other action whatsoever which might reasonably be
expected to result in any disclosure whatsoever concerning this Agreement. You
also agree not to advise, assist or influence in any manner whatsoever any other
past, present or future employee of the Company in asserting any claim against
the Company or in filing, preparing to file or prosecuting any lawsuit, charges,
complaints, petitions or other accusatory pleadings against the Company with any
governmental agency or in any court, provided, however, that providing testimony
or documents pursuant to a valid subpoena shall not be considered a breach of
this provision.

     In the event that any dispute arises with respect to the interpretation,
enforcement or alleged breach of this Agreement, you and the Company agree to
resolve such dispute through arbitration conducted before a single arbitrator
according to the arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. The
arbitration will be held in Palo Alto, California, and the prevailing party
shall be entitled to recover its reasonable costs and attorneys' fees incurred
in connection with such arbitration.

     This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of
the parties hereto and upon their successors, heirs and assigns.

     This Agreement is entered into by each party hereto without any admission
of liability to each other, but solely for the purpose of avoiding further
uncertainty, controversy and legal expense. Without limiting the foregoing,
neither this Agreement nor any consideration paid by either party therefor, nor
anything contained in this Agreement, shall be taken or construed to be an
inference of admission by the Company with respect to any claims that could be
alleged.

     You and the Company both warrant that no promise, inducement or agreement
not expressed herein has been made in connection with this Agreement; that this
Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between them, and cancels and
supersedes all prior communications or understandings between them with respect
to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement may only be varied or
modified by a written document executed by you and the Company.

     You acknowledge that you are aware that under the Older Workers' Benefit 
Protection Act, you have twenty-one (21) calendar days to decide whether to 
enter into this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that you have been 
allowed twenty-one (21) calendar days to consider this Agreement or if you 
execute it prior to the expiration of that twenty-one (21) day period, you 
voluntarily waived any time remaining. You further acknowledge that you are 
aware that under the Older Workers' Benefit Protection Act you may revoke 
this Agreement within seven (7) calendar days after it is signed. You 
further agree that this Agreement shall not be

<PAGE>

Arvind Patel
June 6, 1997
Page 5


effective until after this revocation period has expired and that you are aware
that in the event you timely exercise your right of rescission, you will have no
rights under this Agreement.

     You acknowledge and agree that you have had had the opportunity to consult
with the advisor of your choice with respect to the matters which are the
subject of this Agreement. You further agree that you have entered into this
Agreement freely and voluntarily.

     This Agreement shall in all respects be interpreted, enforced and governed
under the laws of the State of California.

     In the event that any provision of this Agreement be declared or be
determined in a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid or
unenforceable, the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining parts,
terms or provisions shall not be affected thereby, and said illegal,
unenforceable or invalid part, term or provision shall be deemed not to be a
part of this Agreement.

     Please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by executing below on the
signature line. A fully executed copy of this Agreement will be returned to you
for your records.

                                     ORYX TECHNOLOGY CORP.




Dated: June _, 1997                  By /s/ Phil Micciche
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                          Phil Micciche
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer


Dated: June 9, 1997                  By /s/ Arvind Patel
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                          Arvind Patel

EXHIBIT 1 Schedule and Copy of Options