ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: BIPH; FWB: BTN), a developer of next-generation medical technology, announced today that one U.S. Patent has issued to the Company, and one U.S. patent has issued to one of its licensors who has granted Biophan exclusive worldwide medical rights. These newly issued patents result in Biophan holding or licensing 48 issued patents, 7 allowed applications that will issue as patents in the near future, 102 U.S. applications in prosecution, and a total of 56 foreign counterparts in various stages of prosecution.
"The continued growth of our intellectual property portfolio comes at a time when the entire biomedical device industry and government regulators are much more serious about solving the problems of both MRI safety and image compatibility," stated Biophan CEO Michael Weiner. "From our perspective as the primary holder of patented solutions for resolving these issues, we can see that both interest and activity is increasing. We believe it is only a matter of time before multiple products ship with the competitive advantage of being either MRI safe or MRI image compatible, or both. The recent payment from Boston Scientific, renewing their license for the next year, confirms the sustained interest in these technologies by our first customer.
US Patent 6,980,848, Optical MRI Catheter System, teaches the application of photonic technology in combination with miniature MRI receiver coils incorporated into diagnostic catheters, eliminating unwanted heating associated with electrical conductors. Traditional receiver coils are either part of the MRI system or placed directly over body areas requiring higher image resolution. Intraluminal coils are small enough to be part of a catheter that can run through an artery or other body lumen, providing exquisite image quality in a localized area. This may be critically important in diagnosing vulnerable plaque and other conditions, and use of photonics eliminates any heating risk.
US Patent 6,980,865, Implantable Shielded Medical Device, licensed to Biophan by Nanoset LLC, discloses a flexible and biocompatible shielding assembly for electrical conductors used with implantable medical devices. This patent covers use of nanomagnetic and carbon-based structures providing a wide range of electromagnetic shielding for internal electrical conductors, as well as a high degree of thermal isolation for tissues external to the shield.
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 medical systems such as pacemakers, interventional surgical devices such as catheters and guidewires, and implants such as stents to be safely and/or effectively imaged under MRI. Biophan is developing these same technologies to provide new MRI contrast agents. Other applications include drug delivery and power systems which derive energy from body heat. Biophan also has an equity position in MYOTECH, LLC to assist in development and commercialization of an MRI compatible cardiac assist device - the MYO-VAD
TM. Committed to growth through innovation and developmental leadership, Biophan and its licensors now hold a total of 156 U.S. patents, licenses, or applications, plus international applications. This total includes 45 issued U.S. patents, 7 recently-allowed applications that will issue as patents in the near future, and 104 pending applications at various stages of examination at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patents cover areas including nanotechnology (nanomagnetic particle coatings), medical device designs, radio frequency filters, polymer composites, thermoelectric materials which generate electricity 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.
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