Rheologics' Cytoscan European Distribution Network Expands with New Lekam Medical Contract and...

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2003

-- Four New Cytoscan(R) Sales Increase Total Units

Sold Worldwide to 58 --

Rheologics, Inc. today announced it has increased its presence in the European market through an

exclusive agreement with Lekam Medical Ltd. for distribution of Rheologics' OPS imaging device, the Cytoscan(R). The announcement will be detailed at the upcoming 23rd International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, March 18 - March 21, Brussels, Belgium, where Rheologics will exhibit with Lekam personnel (Rheologics booth #14). Rheologics selected Lekam Medical as its exclusive distributor because of their ten years of market experience, knowledge and expertise in the area of microcirculation. Lekam personnel were also instrumental in the initial development of the Cytoscan(R) technology. As part of the distributor agreement, Lekam Medical will now perform field installations, training and customer service.

In addition to supporting the existing product base, Lekam Medical recently sold and installed Cytoscan(R) devices at the following four institutions: University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University of Essen Hospital, Essen, Germany; and University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany. Currently, there are over 58 Cytoscan(R) instruments deployed at institutions worldwide. These deployments have generated over 45 publications describing the research efforts and summarizing the Cytoscan's key potential clinical applications.

"The non-invasive technique of the Cytoscan(R) can provide a whole lot of information about microcirculation right at the bedside. While the sublingual region may not be seen to be the most important target, microcirculatory abnormalities are similar throughout the body, and the sublingual area is easily accessible," Prof. Dr. med. Jean-Louis Vincent, Erasme University Hospital, Brussels, said of the Cytoscan(R). "We have found this technique helpful for identifying microcirculatory alterations and also to assess the effects of our therapy. Today, the Cytoscan(R) is primarily a research tool, but it is likely to become a valuable instrument to guide therapy at the bedside."

"There is a large, untapped market throughout the European market for the Cytoscan(R) OPS imaging technology. Lekam Medical's distribution channels and experience in microcirculation will help us to expand our customer base and aid us in reaching additional European universities and research institutions," said Ray Mannion, president and chief operating officer of Rheologics. "This agreement further supports our continuing effort to develop the OPS imaging market."

The director of Lekam Medical, Keith Kellam, said, "The Cytoscan(R) is a very valuable device, with massive potential in the marketplace. We are proud to represent Rheologics' Cytoscan(R) to the European medical community, as we consider it to be the most accurate and advanced instrument of its kind."

Rheologics, with support from Lekam Medical, will demonstrate its complete product portfolio at the Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine show, highlighting both its in-vitro/in vivo blood profiling device, the Rheolog(TM), and the Cytoscan(R), an OPS imaging device for non-invasive imaging of microcirculation.

For more information on Lekam Medical Ltd. visit www.lekam.co.uk.

Rheologics Product Portfolio

The company's breakthrough product, the Rheolog(TM), is the industry's first clinically practical device for measuring the biophysical properties of whole human blood within in-vitro laboratory settings and in vivo environments at the patient point-of-care. The comprehensive rheological profile produced by the instrument provides biodeliverability effects data that complements product life cycle management strategies, aids in the treatment of heart disease and stroke, and assists with the assessments made during drug screening, compound evaluation and patent extension programs.

The Cytoscan(R) complements the Rheolog technology by providing physicians with more diagnostic options. In addition to sublingual applications, it also allows physicians to better monitor perfusion changes in internal organs, allowing them to better observe post-surgical disease states -- ranging from cardiopulmonary bypasses to organ transplants -- without the need for dyes or surgery. The instrumentation is a patented video microscope/soft-tissue probe that captures still images of illuminated subject matter through a unique backlighting approach, Orthogonal Polarization Spectral (OPS) Imaging. Both devices can be used to monitor patients, thereby becoming an important component of healthcare management for cardiovascular disease.

Since its inception in 1980, the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine has become one of the largest in its field, now attracting more than 4,600 participants from countries worldwide.

About Rheologics, Inc.

Since 1997, Rheologics has pioneered a new standard of care in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke. Rheologics' mission is to supplement the existing understanding of the risk factors for these diseases by focusing on the emerging field of hemorheology -- the study of blood flow dynamics and its impact on vascular-related diseases. The company's breakthrough product, the Rheolog(TM)(1), is the industry's first clinically practical device for measuring the hemorheological properties of whole human blood within in-vitro laboratory settings and in-vivo screening environments at the patient point-of-care. The comprehensive profile produced by the instrument provides data that complements product life cycle management strategies and assists with the assessments made during drug screening, compound evaluation and patent extension programs. Rheologics' product portfolio also includes non-invasive imaging technology through the Cytoscan(R), a device that enables clinicians to monitor microcirculation. Both instruments will aid in the development of new therapies and diagnostic capabilities for a variety of disease states. The company is headquartered in Exton, Pa. For more information, please call visit the company web site at www.rheologics.com.

(1) The Rheolog is classified as an IDE exempt device by the FDA guidelines and is not approved by the FDA for therapeutic and diagnostic use. The Cytoscan received a CE mark in December 2000. The Rheolog is currently used by leading institutions for research purposes.