Patent issued for non invasive treatment of kidney and ureteric stone technology

FMD has announced it has been granted patent 6,780,161.

Issued on August 24, 2004, the patent covers the new technology of Twinheads(R) which uses two or more shock wave sources in the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy; the non invasive treatment of kidney and ureteric stones. Further patents are pending.

"We are extremely pleased to be awarded patent 6,780,161. It presents us with a powerful new tool to reach a leading position within the Urological Stone Treatment market. It will also provide protection against whoever is trying to copy our Twinheads technology," said Dr. Yousry Faragalla, CEO of FMD, LLC.

About Twinheads FMD Twinheads provides distinguished improvement in stone fragmentation as has been found in research published in the Journal of Endourology in December 2001 and Journal of Urology in December 2003. Furthermore, the treatment with Twinheads has proved to be less injurious to tissues and to cause less adverse effects. This was confirmed by research by Dr. Ralph Clayman et al on its effect on animal tissue that was published in Urology in November 2003. More research by Dr. K. Sheir et al, to be published very soon in the British Journal of Urology, will show the first clinical results. Many urologists believe that the new Twinheads technology will lead the market to replace the older, more injurious and less effective lithotripters.

The Twinheads device was cleared by the FDA in May 2003. It was developed and is manufactured by FMD in its Lorton, Virginia headquarters. Further research aiming to study the use of Twinheads in tissue and tumor ablation is in development at the present time.