October 03, 2005 11:30 AM US Eastern Timezone
Biophan Receives Patent on Improved Medical Device Safety Under MRI; Technology Senses Unsafe Electrical Energy, Automatically Creates Offsetting and Canceling Signal
BIOWIRE2K
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2005--Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: BIPH), a developer of next-generation biomedical technology, announced today that it has been issued US patent 6,949,929 "Magnetic Resonance Imaging Interference Immune Device". This patent covers active electronic circuits that can sense unwanted electrical energy in a medical device and creates an offsetting signal that effectively cancels it. The Company believes this technology could be critical to the safety of a patient with a pacemaker, defibrillator, or nerve stimulator, who may inadvertently be placed in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. The Company also believes the technology can reduce or eliminate unwanted energy induced in a guidewire or other long conductive surgical tool that would otherwise be useful in less invasive catheter-based interventional procedures.
The typical pacemaker stimulation signal level (about 3 volts) and duration (about 1 millisecond) are intentionally well above the stimulation threshold of most individuals in order to pace the heart and to provide reliable operation. There is considerable variability in this stimulation threshold, and for some patients it can be well below 1 volt. In a typical 1.5 Tesla MRI system, a pulsed gradient field operates at 300 pulses per minute. Under some MRI test sequences and with some pacemaker lead layouts, a signal approaching 1 volt at this speed can potentially induce a heartbeat of 300 beats per minute. If this is not caught immediately the resulting catastrophic loss of blood pressure can be fatal
The long and extremely thin metal guidewires used in advanced interventional surgical procedures can generate electrical arcs and extreme localized heating under certain MRI imaging conditions, potentially harming both the patient and the surgeon. The Company believes its technology, protected by Biophan's US 6,949,929 patent, may also be applied to solve this problem.
Biophan's latest patent is one of a wide set of technologies developed to eliminate patient risks caused by the combination of these devices and the MRI signals and improve the image quality of these devices in MRI. Other Biophan technologies may be used to enhance the MRI visualization of interventional surgical tools that would otherwise be invisible under MRI. This eliminates the need for x-ray imaging to guide these procedures, limiting patient exposure to ionizing radiation and toxic contrast agents.
Michael Weiner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Biophan Technologies, said, "We are extremely pleased with the issuance of this patent, which further builds our extensive portfolio of protected technologies to make medical devices safe under MRI. Our technological visibility to global manufacturers of pacemakers, defibrillators and neurostimulators continues to rise. We have made substantial progress in our discussions with these companies about the potential implementation of our patented technology. It is Biophan's mission to see that medical devices are made safe and compatible with MRI, eliminating contraindications on devices related to MRI, particularly where it may be critical to ensure optimal patient care."
About Biophan Technologies
Biophan develops and markets cutting-edge technologies designed to make biomedical devices safe and image compatible with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. The Company develops technologies that enable implanted medical systems such as pacemakers, interventional surgical devices such as catheters and guidewires, and devices such as stents to be safely and effectively imaged under MRI. Biophan is developing these same technologies to provide new MRI contrast agents. Other applications include drug delivery and power systems derived from body heat. Four Biophan technologies include advances in nanotechnology and thin film coatings. Committed to growth through innovation and developmental leadership, Biophan and its licensors now hold a total of 156 U.S. patents, licenses, or applications. This total includes 42 issued U.S. patents, 8 recently-allowed applications that will issue as patents in the near future, and 106 pending applications at various stages of examination at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, plus international applications. The patents cover areas including nanotechnology (nanomagnetic particle coatings), medical device designs, radio frequency filters, polymer composites, thermoelectric materials for batteries generating power from body heat, and photonics. Biophan has joint development and licensing agreements with Boston Scientific and NASA's Ames Center for Nanotechnology. Biophan's goal is to make all biomedical devices capable of safely and successfully working with MRI, and delivering other technologies which will improve quality of life. Biophan is also listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BTN. For more information, please visit www.biophan.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements reflect what Biophan anticipates, expects, or believes may happen in the future. Biophan's actual results could differ materially from the outcome or circumstance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors including, but not limited to: Biophan's ability to develop its technologies; the approval of Biophan's patent applications; the successful implementation of Biophan's research and development programs; the ability of Biophan to demonstrate the effectiveness of its technology; the acceptance by the market of Biophan's technology and products incorporating such technology, the ability of Biophan to effectively negotiate and enter into contracts with medical device manufacturers for the licensing of Biophan's technology; competition; the ability of Biophan to raise capital to fund its operating and research and development activities until it generates revenues sufficient to do so; and the timing of projects and trends in future operating performance, as well as other factors expressed from time to time in Biophan's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). As a result, this press release should be read in conjunction with Biophan's periodic filings with the SEC which are incorporated herein by reference. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and Biophan undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. |
