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Misonix's Sonora Medical Unit Receives Patent for Unique Ultrasound Probe Testing Device

Posted on: Friday, 12 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

FARMINGDALE, N.Y., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Misonix, Inc. , a developer of ultrasonic medical device technology for the treatment of cancer and other healthcare purposes, announced today that its majority-owned Sonora Medical Systems, Inc. subsidiary has received the first of three patents filed for its FirstCall 2000 ultrasound probe-testing device. The patent enforces the FirstCall device's unique process for testing ultrasound probes on site without requiring the ultrasonic system to be in operation.

The Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,920,776 to Sonora Medical Systems. The inventors are James Gessert, G. Wayne Moore and William Phillips. Commenting on the patent award, G. Wayne Moore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sonora, said, "This patent is especially important to Sonora as it is the first patent awarded to our young Company. Moreover, it provides intellectual property protection for our unique and highly useful device. As a leader in the aftermarket products and services to the ultrasound and MRI markets, we believe our FirstCall device and proprietary technologies provide us with a competitive advantage to better serve the industry."

"Our mission to deliver the highest quality of products and services to our customers coupled with our recent announcement to focus on the ultrasonic medical device market is ably supported by our Sonora Medical Systems unit," said Michael A. McManus, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Misonix. "The usage of ultrasonic medical devices continues to proliferate as a result of efforts by Misonix and other manufacturers. In turn, there is an increasing need to properly maintain the highest level of practice and equipment standards. The estimated market size on a worldwide basis for probe testing equipment alone is in excess of $50 million, with potential customers including every healthcare facility using ultrasound devices. We intend to serve the entire lifecycle needs of our customers by providing them with advanced products for a variety of applications and testing and maintenance systems to ensure optimal performance."

The patent awarded to Sonora for its FirstCall device relates to its ability to test ultrasound probes one element at a time without the necessity of using the ultrasound system. The performance of the elements in a probe dictates the diagnostic quality of the ultrasound examination. Sonora's unique FirstCall device enables clinical engineers, service technicians and manufacturing personnel to objectively evaluate the health of ultrasound transducers. Prior to the introduction of FirstCall, there were only very indirect ways and few commercially available tools to test probes in the hospital setting. Data acquired by FirstCall is then used to make decisions regarding the disposition of probes suspected of being defective and in need of repair or replacement. Early detection and repair of serious problems is far more cost-effective than allowing a mission critical probe to suffer a catastrophic failure requiring an often high-cost replacement. All hospital- based users of FirstCall send their defective probes to Sonora for repair. Sonora is the only independent ISO 9000 facility that specializes in repairing probes to OEM performance levels.

In July 2005, the FirstCall 2000 device was featured during three ultrasound quality assurance presentations given at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) meeting in Seattle. The AAPM event is the largest medical physicists conference held in the United States. Playing a vital role in ensuring quality assurance and quality control for ultrasound medical devices, many medical physicists rely on Sonora and the FirstCall 2000 for testing and maintenance of their equipment.

About Sonora Medical Systems, Inc.:

Sonora Medical Systems is an ISO-9000 certified and FDA registered provider of high quality products and services to the diagnostic ultrasound and MRI markets. Its products and services are marketed on a direct basis to healthcare providers, dealers and service organizations in North America, and both directly and through distribution partners in non-U.S. markets. Customers include large and small hospitals, stand-alone imaging centers, clinics, Independent Service Organizations (ISOs) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Located in Longmont, Colorado, Sonora is a subsidiary of Misonix, Inc. . Additional information on Sonora is available at its Web site at http://www.4sonora.com/.

About Misonix, Inc.:

Misonix, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets medical, scientific and industrial ultrasonic and air pollution systems and maintains a minority equity position in Focus Surgery as its exclusive manufacturer of the Sonablate(R) 500. Additional information is available on the Company's Web site at http://www.misonix.com/.

Forward Looking Statements for Misonix, Inc.: With the exception of historical information contained in this press release, content herein may contain "forward looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. In particular, the Company may not be successful in its efforts with respect to strategic opportunities for its Laboratory and Scientific Division and the affect this activity may have on the other businesses within the Company. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include general economic conditions, delays and risks associated with the performance of contracts, uncertainties as a result of research and development, potential acquisitions, consumer and industry acceptance, litigation and/or court proceedings, regulatory risks including approval of pending and/or contemplated 510(k) filings, the ability to achieve and maintain profitability in the Company's business lines, and other factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

Misonix Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Richard Zaremba Jordan M. Darrow Chief Financial Officer Darrow Associates, Inc. 631-694-9555 631-367-1866 invest@misonix.com jdarrow@optonline.net

Misonix, Inc.

CONTACT: Richard Zaremba, Chief Financial Officer of Misonix, Inc.,+1-631-694-9555, invest@misonix.com; or Jordan M. Darrow of Darrow Associates,Inc. for Misonix, Inc., +1-631-367-1866, jdarrow@optonline.net

Web site: http://www.misonix.com/http://www.4sonora.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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