COMPUMED AWARDED SECOND OSTEOGRAMŽ PATENT
Company Also Files Additional Claim for OsteoClick Business Model
LOS ANGELES, April 13, 2004 -- CompuMed, Inc. (BB: CMPD) -- a medical informatics company serving the healthcare community with diagnostic software solutions -- today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company a second patent for the advanced image processing technology utilized in its OsteoGram(R) system for osteoporosis screening, diagnosis and monitoring. The company also announced that it has filed an additional claim to cover its pay-per-use OsteoClick business model.
The newly awarded patent titled, "Method for Automatically Segmenting a Target Bone From a Digital Image,"(USPTO # 6,711,282) contains 19 claims that protect the company's proprietary technology for generating a contour of a target bone from a digital image. CompuMed's unique segmentation technique employs shape analysis and candidate selection processes to precisely extract a target for analysis.
Diagnostic applications for this object-oriented approach extend far beyond osteoporosis. CompuMed plans to use its intellectual property in products designed to screen, diagnose and monitor a range of other prevalent and potentially debilitating bone diseases. The company's development team is currently working to isolate target objects including joint space narrowing and bone erosions, both of which are markers for following the progression of arthritis -- the most prevalent debilitating bone disease in the U.S.
"We are delighted to be awarded our second OsteoGram patent," stated Jerry McLaughlin, CompuMed's CEO. "This is a key patent in our field that will protect our intellectual property rights as we launch a series of medical imaging applications for radiologists and orthopedic surgeons."
In a related development, CompuMed filed an additional claim to its June 2003 DICOM patent application. DICOM (Digital Communications and Imaging in Medicine) is the computer standard that enables digital imaging platforms and networks to interconnect. The company's previous application protects its intellectual property rights for diagnosing bone disease via OsteoGram technology coupled with a DICOM image. The new claim relates to a pay-per-use, ASP (Application Service Provider)-style business model that the company calls OsteoClick. OsteoClick will enable hospital and office-based clinicians to submit a DICOM image to an off-site server for immediate diagnosis.
"The amendment to our existing OsteoGram DICOM patent application will protect technology and business processes that give physicians the option of sending images over the Internet for analysis at a remote location," McLaughlin added. "This model is a natural extension of our CardioGram product and service offerings, which enable medical providers worldwide to receive an electrocardiogram (ECG) over-read by a board certified cardiologist based at our Los Angeles facility."
About CompuMed:
Founded in 1973, CompuMed, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CMPD) is a leading provider of computer-aided telemedicine and diagnostics technology. The company's core products are the OsteoGram and CardioGram systems. The OsteoGram, which is cleared by the FDA for commercial use, is an accurate and precise technology for low-cost osteoporosis testing. The CardioGram is a pioneering telemedicine system that remotely interprets electrocardiograms on a real time basis. Used by private practice, government and corporate healthcare providers nationwide, it also has the capability to automatically provide an over-read (i.e., follow-up review) by a cardiologist. CompuMed is headquartered in Los Angeles. Visit CompuMed at www.compumed.net or call (310) 258-5000.
This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, ability to raise capital, the availability of appropriate acquisition candidates and/or business partnerships, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, capacity and supply constraints or difficulties, government regulation and other risks defined in this document. All such forward-looking statements whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the Company are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
CONTACT: Erik Deutsch - Tellem Worldwide, +1 (310) 479-6111 x.15, edeutsch@tellem.com