MEDCHANNEL ANNOUNCES 510(K) APPROVAL AND COMMERCIAL RELEASE OF THE HTS™ DOPPLER-GUIDED HEMORRHOID TREATMENT SYSTEM
Precise, rapid localization and treatment of hemorrhoidal arteries.

Boston, MA (August 14, 2006) – MEDCHANNEL, LLC announced that it has received 510(k) approval of the HTS™ Doppler-Guided Hemorrhoid Treatment System. The HTS system is an adjunctive audio vessel landmarking aid for use during hemorrhoid artery treatment. The HTS treatment system is the only doppler-guided system available that allows the surgeon quick and precise access to the offending hemorrhoidal arteries through well-illuminated lateral and longitudinal operating windows, using a single use Doppler Probe. The surgeon may then ligate and correct hemorrhoids above the dentate line, resulting in successful hemorrhoid treatment that patients report to be less painful during and after the procedure.

It is estimated that greater than 10 million individuals suffer from hemorrhoids in the United States annually and that half of all Americans will suffer from hemorrhoids by the age of fifty.  Approximately 500,000 are medically treated for hemorrhoids, with approximately 20% undergoing surgery each year.  Treatments range from topical medications for superficial hemorrhoids, to hemorrhoid banding and more invasive surgeries for moderate to severe conditions.  Hemorrhoids and traditional treatments are often painful.

The HTS hemorrhoid treatment system consists of a electronic base unit and various HTS components that, when used in conjunction with the single use Doppler Probe, enable the surgeon to rapidly locate, treat and correct internal and prolapsed hemorrhoids through lateral and longitudinal operating windows.  The HTS system allows for minimally invasive treatment of hemorrhoids in approximately twenty minutes and without general anesthesia.

“Doctors and patients in the United States have been waiting for broad availability of this improved treatment system for years,” said R. Michael Dudley, President and CEO of MEDCHANNEL, “We believe that the treatment options this system affords will be widely preferred by patients, and that hospitals offering these options to their patients will be more competitive.”

“We have had great success treating grades II-IV in our patients using the HTS system,” said Dr. Matthew Albert, a board certified colorectal surgeon and member of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL,  “HTS procedures are fast, easy to perform and there is immediate evidence of having successfully located and treated the condition during the procedure.  It’s minimally invasive and our patients experience less pain intra- and post-procedure”

“Doppler-guided hemorrhoid treatment has long been available in Europe and is widely accepted and indeed preferred for many patients.” said Walter Egle, President of A.M.I., Agency of Medical Innovations, the device manufacturer, “Now U.S. doctors can offer their patients this minimally invasive procedure that has had so much success in other parts of the world.”

MEDCHANNEL is a worldwide manufacturer, distributor and marketer of medical devices whose current products are used in a broad range of laparoscopic and open surgical procedures.  For more information, please visit: www.medchannel.com.

A.M.I. is a leader in innovation, development and manufacture of medical devices in the General Surgery market and is located in Feldkirch Austria.

This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to MEDCHANNEL.  MEDCHANNEL wishes to caution the reader of this press release that actual results may differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and may be adversely affected by, among other things, risks associated with new product development and introduction, clinical trials, intellectual property, regulatory approvals, competitive offerings, base research, integration of acquired companies, the Company’s overall business strategy, and other factors.


CONTACT
R. Michael Dudley
President and CEO
(617)314-9861