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Biophan Patent Portfolio Expands With Three Newly Issued Patents Relating to MRI Safety and Visualization

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 12:00 CDT

Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: BIPH), a developer of next-generation medical technology, announced today that two U.S. Patents have issued to the Company, and one U.S. patent has issued to Nanoset, LLC, a technology collaborator which has granted Biophan exclusive worldwide medical rights. These newly issued patents increase the Company's intellectual property portfolio to 144 U.S. patents, licenses, or applications.

Biophan's mission is to develop technologies to improve medical devices and bring these technologies to market through strategic partnerships.

"These patents can provide improved capabilities to a wide variety of devices, increasing the technologies we have to offer," stated Michael Weiner, CEO of Biophan. "This fits with our strategy of providing enabling technology to many device manufacturers."

"In U.S. Patent 6,952,322, we teach how to convert electrical information, including radio waves, into optical signals to move them along an optical fiber, when used in conjunction with MRI," Mr. Weiner explained. "MRI provides the advantage of superior tissue imaging with no exposure to potentially harmful ionizing radiation. As optical fiber systems are now being used for intraluminal imaging, we expect our invention to become an important component in imaging vulnerable plaque under MRI. The technology also has potential applications for oncology, diabetes, and other diseases."

U.S. Patent 6,925,328 covers cardiac assist devices made compatible with MRI, when MRI signals are detected, so that the communications circuit between the device and the heart can be interrupted, to avoid the potential dangers of tissue heating and induced voltages. Sensing the MRI machine's excitation signal by use of an opto-electronic device is covered by this patent. This is one of several approaches to addressing the problems of MRI safety and cardiac assist devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. "As pacemaker and defibrillator manufacturers continue their efforts to make these devices safe with MRI, this technology is one of several options offered by Biophan to solve the MRI safety problem that is widely recognized by the industry," stated Mr. Weiner.

U.S. Patent 6,930,242 covers virtually any medical conductor, including a pacemaker, defibrillator, or neurostimulator lead, that includes nanomagnetic coatings and is designed to be flexible. "This patent extends our broad coverage of nanomagnetic devices," Mr. Weiner explained.

Biophan recently completed a licensing agreement and received an equity investment from Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX). Under that agreement, Boston Scientific receives certain licensing rights within specific product categories to these and other Biophan and Nanoset patents.

To view details of the newly issued patents, please visit http://www.biophan.com/intellectual.php

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 144 U.S. patents, licenses, or applications. This total includes 41 issued U.S. patents, 9 recently-allowed applications that will issue as patents in the near future, and 94 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 (NYSE: BSX - News) 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. 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.

Source: Business Wire

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