Patent Office Actions Benefit Trimedyne

Business Wire, March 8, 1999

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 1999--Trimedyne Inc. (Nasdaq/NMS:TMED) Monday announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has completed the re-examination of Trimedyne's U.S. Patent on the use of a laser, drug injector or any other therapeutic device on the heart which is synchronized with the patient's electrocardiogram ("ECG").

The Patent was reissued without change on March 2, 1999. This patent is exclusively licensed to Trimedyne's 90 percent owned subsidiary, Cardiodyne Inc.

Trimedyne asked the USPTO to re-examine this patent after an extensive search of the literature, commissioned by Trimedyne, uncovered two publications that had not been considered by the USPTO before the original patent was granted. The USPTO found the two publications did not affect the validity of the patent.

Separately, the USPTO has allowed more than 30 claims of Trimedyne's U.S. patent application covering its laser trans-myocardial revascularization ("TMR") system, which will be shown at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans on March 7-10. The patent is expected to issue in a month or two and, likewise, has been exclusively licensed to Cardiodyne.

The patent application allowed by the USPTO covers Cardiodyne's intraoperative and percutaneous cardiac catheters, which are designed to reduce bleeding from the heart's surface, a complication of other TMR devices, and its unique AutoFire(TM) System, which uses a laser to make channels through the heart wall and injects growth factors or genes to cause new vessels to form, synchronized with the patient's ECG.

The entire procedure is performed in one-half second or less, during diastole when the heart is momentarily at rest, between heart beats. Making the channels during diastole reduces the risk of a fatal arrhythmia (irregular, uncontrolled heartbeat).

Trimedyne is a leading manufacturer of surgical lasers for use in urology, orthopedics, ENT surgery, gynecology and general surgery to treat a variety of diseases and medical conditions.

"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act: With the exception of any historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties that may, individually or mutually, impact the matters herein described. Such risks may be outside the control of the company, and may be detailed from time to time in the company's periodic SEC reports.