DeCaf Company Appoints PatentBridge to License DeCaf's Patents Covering Revolutionary Consumer Decaffeination Method; Fundamentally New Decaffeination Technology Being Brought to Market.

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- The DeCaf Company LLC, the emerging leader in the development of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPS), today announced the exclusive engagement of PatentBridge LLC to license its MIPS Decaffeination patents. DeCaf owns a number of U.S. patents covering low-cost, disposable, chemical-free ways for consumers to conveniently reduce caffeine in coffees and teas after brewing without altering the taste or aroma.

The DeCaf method, unlike today's large-batch decaffeination of raw coffee beans, is performed effortlessly by the cup just before drinking. And this new decaffeination is done naturally without altering the coffee bean or tea leaves with steam or heat, and equally important to today's health-conscious consumers, without the use of any chemicals.

The DeCaf process is inexpensive, simple and quick and works by dunking a tea bag containing intelligent plastic beads in a cup of brewed or instant coffee or tea. The beads, made of simple polymer, have imprints on their surfaces that match the physical shape of caffeine molecules. The caffeine molecules align with and adhere to the imprints. By adhering to the intelligent plastic beads, the caffeine is removed from the brewed coffee or tea leaving a reduced caffeinated beverage. Only the targeted caffeine is removed; all the other complex ingredients that make coffee and tea taste so good remain.

"We believe there is enormous licensing appeal for our patents that promise a new and better way to decaffeinate. Who among us wouldn't at times like to lower our own and our kids' caffeine intake if it didn't hurt the taste of favorite drinks?" said DeCaf Company CEO, Mel Stuckey. "We are pleased to have engaged PatentBridge to bring this exciting new intelligent plastics application to market."

"This is truly a breakthrough for America's coffee and tea drinkers. We look forward to licensing the DeCaf patents to those companies which can take the technology into the homes and coffee houses of America," said PatentBridge CEO, Mark Holmes.

The DeCaf Company LLC (California) is an advanced polymers research and prototype company that has invented and patented high-tech polymers that can decaffeinate coffee, tea and other beverages by the individual serving. DeCaf is the owner of U.S. Patents 6,322,834 and 6,391,359.

PatentBridge LLC, a privately held technology transfer firm based in Silicon Valley, specializes in select patents covering extraordinary scientific and industrial breakthroughs.