UTAH MEDICAL PRODUCTS, INC.

UM PR Logo.jpg (12597 bytes)CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
7043 South 300 West
Midvale, Utah 84047
Telephone: 801-566-1200
FAX: 801-566-2062
NASDAQ Symbol: UTMD
www.utahmed.com
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PRESS RELEASE

UTMD Receives Favorable Decision in Patent Infringement Action
January 17, 2002

Contact: Paul Richins
(801) 566-1200

Salt Lake City, Utah -  Utah Medical Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:UTMD) announces that on January 16, 2002, in the United States Federal District Court for the District of Utah, a twelve member jury rendered a verdict in favor of UTMD that the Kendall•LTP Softrans 4000 Intrauterine Pressure Catheter infringes UTMD’s United States Letters Patent No. 4,785,822 for inventions relating to a "Disposable Intracompartmental Pressure Transducer." UTMD markets the Intran® Plus which practices this patent.

 
The patent infringement lawsuit had been filed in early 1997. The jury awarded UTMD $20,000,000 in damages. UTMD anticipates that certain limited issues remaining to be decided by the court will be decided within the next thirty days or so. Entry of the final judgment is dependent upon the resolution of these issues. As part of any final judgment that may be entered in favor of UTMD, the company intends to seek an injunction against the further marketing of Kendall•LTP’s infringing product, Softrans.

Utah Medical Products, Inc., with particular interest in health care for women and their babies, develops, manufactures, assembles and markets a broad range of disposable and reusable specialty medical devices designed for better health outcomes for patients and their care-providers. For more information about Utah Medical Products, Inc., visit UTMD’s website at www.utahmed.com.