Valley Center, CA - August 3, 2000 - Fallbrook Engineering Inc. (FEI) was recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for further development of a unique cord blood collection system. Two patents for the initial device were issued in 1999 to Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) with co-inventors listed from CHORI and FEI. CHORI and FEI will work together during the next 6 months to design enhancements which support the wide spread use of cord blood stem cells collected from umbilical cords.

FEI Vice President and Grant Principal Investigator Richard Meyst added "We are excited to be involved with the emerging cord blood technologies. Cord blood collection represents almost unlimited opportunities to improve healthcare therapies involving stem cells." The stem cells can be used as an alternative to traditional bone marrow transplants for cancer patients. Recent studies show promise for treating spinal cord injuries and sickle cell anemia using stem cells. Many other applications are also being explored.

Fallbrook Engineering, www.fallbrook-eng.com, is a contract product development, management, and engineering services company serving healthcare companies worldwide and is known for its history of money making, creative, and on time service. Founded in 1981, Fallbrook Engineering is comprised of employees and associates, together representing nearly 900 years of product and process development for healthcare.

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