WORLD HEART CORPORATION EXPANDS INTERNATIONAL PATENT
PROTECTION FOR KEY TECHNOLOGIES
OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, August 12 /CNW/ - World Heart Corporation
(''WorldHeart'' or the ''Corporation'') announced today the expansion of
international patent protection for key technologies related to
HEARTSAVERvad(TM).
An improved version of the Transcutaneous Energy Transfer (TET) system
has received Canadian Patent # 2,074,150. A U.S. Patent # 5,350,413 and U.K.
Patent # 2,239,802 were previously issued for TET in 1994.
The European Patent Office has also given notice of its intent to issue
Patent # 94926076.4 for the Electrohydraulic Ventricular Assist Device,
trademarked HEARTSAVERvad(TM). This technology is also subject to U.S.
Patents # 5,569,156 and # 5,704,891.
Other patents are pending in other countries for the HEARTSAVERvad(TM)
system and its related technologies.
The new Canadian and European patents are assigned to the Ottawa Heart
Institute Research Corporation. WorldHeart holds exclusive worldwide rights
to these and all other patents and intellectual property related to the
HEARTSAVERvad(TM) system.
''We have expanded our position in the international marketplace by
extending our intellectual property protection of the HEARTSAVERvad(TM) system
which is indicative of the Corporation's continued advances,'' said Dr. Tofy
Mussivand, President and Chief Operating Officer of WorldHeart.
HEARTSAVERvad(TM) is the first pulsatile ventricular assist device that
is designed to be fully implantable in the human chest. The device is powered
by the patented TET system and monitored and controlled by the proprietary
Biotelemetry system. TET transfers electrical power to the device from outside
the body without skin perforations. Biotelemetry transfers information about
the operation of the heart and the device from inside the body and receives
information from outside the body, permitting the device to be monitored and
controlled remotely.
HEARTSAVERvad(TM) is designed for long term use by people who suffer from
heart failure which presently kills over 44,000 Canadians, 500,000 Americans
and over 5 million worldwide annually. HEARTSAVERvad(TM) assists the natural
heart and can replace part or all of the pumping function and can save the
lives of millions.
Pre-clinical trials are planned to be conducted in 1998 and 1999. First
human use is expected in 1999.
WorldHeart is a medical devices business focused on the commercialization
of artificial heart and related technologies for which worldwide rights were
acquired from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Continuing research
and development of these technologies is carried out under contract to
WorldHeart by the Cardiovascular Devices Division of the University of Ottawa
Heart Institute Research Corporation, an affiliate of the University of Ottawa
Heart Institute. WorldHeart is a public company whose stock trades on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: WHT) and the NASDAQ SmallCap Market
(ticker symbol: WHRTF).
Any forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the
safe harbour provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risk
and uncertainties, including without limitation, risks in product development
and market acceptance of and demand for the Corporation's products, risks of
downturns in economic conditions generally, and in the medical devices
markets, risks associated with costs and delays posed by government
regulation, limitations on third party reimbursement, inability to protect
proprietary technology, potential product liability and other risks detailed
in the Corporation's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
All financial figures are prepared in accordance with Canadian generally
accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and are expressed in Canadian dollars.
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