Bruker Daltonics and Thermo Electron Settle Ion Trap Patent Litigation.

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BILLERICA, Mass.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 30, 2001

Bruker Daltonics Inc. (NASDAQ: BDAL) and Thermo Finnigan Corporation, a business of Thermo Electron Corporation (NYSE: TMO), today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement in their litigation in the U.S. and Europe.

The worldwide settlement agreement announced today provides for the dismissal of all pending suits, the waiving of all damages, and a framework of licensing and arbitration for potential future patent disputes between the companies in the field of ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS). The settlement allows both companies, as well as their distributors and Bruker Daltonics' strategic partner Agilent, to sell their unmodified ITMS systems again in Germany effective immediately. Bruker Daltonics and Thermo Finnigan also have cross-licensed each other worldwide under all patents in suit for all ITMS fields of use, except gas chromatography (GC) coupled to ITMS.

"We are pleased that we have been able to settle our differences," said Frank H. Laukien, Ph.D., President and CEO of Bruker Daltonics. "First and foremost, our customers will benefit from having competitive choices without concerns about patent infringement. Moreover, we believe that this will even further enhance the significant role of ion trap mass spectrometry in proteomics and other applications. Finally, both companies will be able to spend less money on litigation, and instead can focus more resources on R&D, new life-science applications, and customer support."

About Bruker Daltonics

Bruker Daltonics is a leading developer and provider of innovative life science tools based on mass spectrometry. Its substantial investment in research and development allows it to design, manufacture and market a broad array of products intended to meet the rapidly growing needs of a diverse customer base, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, proteomics companies, molecular diagnostics companies, academic institutions and government agencies. Bruker Daltonics has diverse technology platforms that integrate automated sample preparation and clean-up, advanced front-end AnchorChip MALDI targets and API source technology with cutting-edge proprietary MALDI-TOF, ESI-TOF, ion trap and FTMS mass analyzers, as well as analysis and bioinformatics software. Bruker Daltonics is also a worldwide leader in supplying mass spectrometry-based systems for substance detection and pathogen identification in security and defense applications.

Bruker Daltonics Cautionary Statement

All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Bruker Daltonics' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies" or the like. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Bruker Daltonics from those projected, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to technological approaches, product development, manufacturing, market acceptance, cost and pricing of Bruker Daltonics' products, dependence on collaborative partners, suppliers, FDA and other regulatory approvals to the extent applicable, competition, the intellectual property of others, patent protection and litigation and other risk factors discussed from time to time in Bruker Daltonics' reports or filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bruker Daltonics expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Bruker Daltonics' expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements are based.