Biophan Commencing Animal Trials Of MRI-Visible Vena Cava Filter

Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTC BB: BIPH), a developer of next-generation biomedical technology, today announced plans to begin animal trials of its advanced MRI-imageable vena cava filter, in a research program underway at the Company's newly established Biophan-Europe division. The announcement of the trials, anticipated to commence within the next quarter, was made by Michael Weiner, Chief Executive Officer of Biophan.

Vena cava filters are used in the main venous system, where they remain either temporarily or permanently, to trap circulating blood clots, plaque, or other materials that can cause life threatening lung embolisms. The Company's vena cava filter was developed at its Biophan-Europe division, a German company formerly known as AMRIS GmbH. Biophan recently acquired a controlling interest in the company, which is recognized as a leading innovator of medical devices and technology solutions compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

"The advanced vena cava technology is just one of the exciting pioneering research and development programs underway at Biophan-Europe, and is an excellent indication of the sort of work that made the acquisition of AMRIS so important to Biophan," said Mr. Weiner. "The solutions being developed at Biophan-Europe have significant implication for major sectors of the medical device marketplace."

Much of the technology under development at Biophan-Europe involves its "active" MRI solutions that use proprietary resonant frequency circuitry to enable superior functionality in MRI visualization. The Company's vena cava filter is unique in part because it enables physicians to use MRI to see inside the filter to determine if any clots or other materials have been trapped inside the filter, a capability almost impossible under x-ray visualization. This is currently the only filter that can be placed under MRI guidance, allows visualization of captured substrates, and subsequently removed.

Biophan's vena cava filter research program also breaks new ground in the field of interventional MRI; currently, the multi-billion-dollar MRI marketplace is almost entirely used to provide doctors with images for diagnostic purposes. Today, vena cava filters are mainly inserted through the femoral vein and placed in the inferior vena cava (IVC); the placement procedure is comparably simple, but currently must be conducted under x-ray guided visualization. This requires nephrotoxic and allergenic iodine-based contrast agents to be injected into the patient, and, as well, exposes patient and doctor to the x-ray radiation for the length of the procedure. Biophan's MRI-compatible devices could be inserted under MRI rather than x-rays, eliminating the dangers associated with x-rays.

"We believe this is the key technology to introduce MRI-guided vena cava filter placement into clinical routine," said Dr. Michael Friebe, CEO of Biophan-Europe.

"Researchers have long been interested in developing the field of Interventional MRI, but have been unable to make substantial headway. We are now in a position to start exploiting the potential for MRI to enable many helpful interventional and therapeutic procedures," added Prof. Andreas Melzer, chief researcher at the German subsidiary.

The Company will perform its testing in the next clinical trial phase on farm pigs, a standard animal model for experimentation. The Company's researchers intend to perform long-term, or chronic studies, expected to last from 28 to 90 days. The research program is being conducted in cooperation with the University of Essen, Germany (department of cardiology) and the University of Aachen, Germany (department of radiology).