CardioVascular announces patent notice of allowance for its catheter platform with stent deployment features technology.

CardioVascular Technologies, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) has recently received a Notice of Allowance for its patent application titled, "Rapid Exchange (RX) Catheter with Stent Deployment, Therapeutic Infusion and Lesion Sampling Features" (United States Patent Application 20030120208). The allowed claims provide patent protection for a novel Rapid Exchange (RX) catheter platform, including PTCA / PTA and Stent Deployment catheters. The allowed claims also cover a novel ostial lesion stent deployment catheter. The unique design prevents deploying a portion of the stent within the aorta. Other devices covered in the allowed claims include a Guide Wire or Pacing Lead Carrier catheter. The patent application has an early filing date (2001), with the core technology going back further.

The company is currently looking for a partner or strategic alliance to develop the technology and commercialize the resultant devices -- The company may also be interested in licensing (Field of Use or for all applications) or selling this technology.

Some of the key design features of the patent include:

-- Guide wire does not ride inside the body of the catheter (no internal catheter guide wire lumen),

-- Multiple guide wire location designs

-- Wire riding in a channel through the balloon,

-- Wire riding in closed lumen on outside of catheter body,

-- Wire riding in open channel on outside of catheter body,

-- Wire on the outside of the balloon (similar to a cutting balloon catheter) or between balloon segments.

-- Ability to carry multiple guide wires on a single catheter, which can be used for several purposes, including to guide a second catheter to a branched or bifurcated section of an artery for a second stent or stent segment deployment,

-- Additional catheter design features include perfusion (without requiring an internal catheter lumen) and compatibility with devices such as those used for embolic protection,

The allowed claims are broad and are intended to provide strong patent protection to devices and methods based on the claimed technology. The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) as reviewed by the patent examiner, listed over 130 patents, including important Rapid Exchange (RX) catheter patents such as Yock, Bonzel, Horzewski, Lau, Sirhan, Crittenden, Anderson, etc.

We believe that the multiple implementations of the technology included in the patent will prove to be important and enabling to the acquiring company. In addition, the case offers the additional advantage of the possibility of combining it with other pending cases (possibly from the acquiring company) as one or more CIP cases, while still retaining the earliest priority date for the core technology. Prior to the issuance of this patent, we will file a Continuation case to broaden the coverage for the technology, as well as to keep the case active for future CIPs or Divisional cases.

CardioVascular Technologies is a biomedical device development company, specializing in the creation of cutting edge surgical and catheter-based technologies. We assist companies of all sizes, as well as individuals (including physicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs). Our consulting services focus on two specific areas, intellectual property and rapid prototype development.

CardioVascular Technologies, Inc.

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www.cvtechinc.com