MicroTransponder Inc. Awarded Patent for Wireless Neurostimulation Device

Dallas, TX, December 09, 2009 --(PR.com)-- MicroTransponder Inc., a privately-held medical device company, announced it has been awarded a neurostimulation patent for a "Grooved Electrode and Wireless Microtransponder System" (U.S. Patent No. 7,630,771) from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent is MicroTransponder's first issued patent related to its unique implantable wireless stimulator, the SAINT™ (Subcutaneous Arrangement of Implantable Neural Transponders) MicroStim System. MicroTransponder Inc. has fourteen US utility applications currently filed on the SAINT™ MicroStim System.

"This patent is a major step to ensure that the Company maintains a competitive edge in our newly developed wireless stimulator technology," said Frank McEachern, General Counsel and CFO of MicroTransponder. McEachern continued, “The small size of the MicroTransponder SAINT™ MicroStim System has given rise to new approaches to establishing and maintaining a stable electrical interface in the peripheral nerve environment.” The patented claims regarding physical configurations of the transponders are an integral element in MicroTransponder's overall patent protection strategy for its wireless system. This patent protects the development of a stable implant through configurations that encourage tissue growth near the device. The synergy of size and configuration secures the SAINT™ MicroStim System and allows for better electrical connection with the surrounding tissue.

The SAINT™ MicroStim System is being developed to relieve chronic pain and migraines. The wireless technology eliminates the need for an implanted battery and wires, which increases the number of pain sites that can be treated with neurostimulation. The small form factor provides flexibility for placement by physicians in an outpatient setting. “Millions of chronic pain and migraine patients will soon have a new therapy option that avoids the unpleasant side effects of pharmaceutical treatments for pain,” said Jordan Curnes, President and COO of MicroTransponder. The U.S. Neurostimulation market is in excess of $2 Billion annually and led by Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, and Boston Scientific. “We expect to increase the entire market size and move neurostimulation from being considered the treatment of last resort to an early therapeutic option for refractory patients,” stated Curnes.

Medical Disclaimer: The SAINT™ MicroStim System has not yet been approved for investigational use and is not for sale in the United States.

About MicroTransponder, Inc.
MicroTransponder ( www.microtransponder.com) is developing a wireless neurostimulation system for the treatment of chronic pain and several other neurological indications. The minimally invasive device will provide relief from chronic pain without requiring an implanted battery or wires. The company is planning clinical trials and accumulating data toward FDA clearance. MicroTransponder is also adapting the system for Vagus Nerve Stimulation to create a pipeline of innovative treatments for other neurological indications, including stroke rehabilitation, tinnitus, PTSD, and autism.

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