Note 6 - Patents and Other Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]

6. Patents and Other Intangible Assets

Details patents and other of intangible assets are summarized as follows:

	December 31, 2011						December 31, 2010
	Cost		Accumulated Amortization		Net		Cost		Accumulated Amortization		Net
Patents	$	1,180,000	$	377,000	$	803,000	$	1,440,000	$	571,000	$	869,000
Deferred Patents		1,202,000		--		1,202,000		1,784,000		--		1,784,000
Trademarks		144,000		144,000		--		144,000		142,000		2,000
Deferred Trademarks		15,000		--		15,000		15,000		--		15,000
	$	2,541,000	$	521,000	$	2,020,000	$	3,383,000	$	713,000	$	2,670,000

Trademarks and patents are all intangible assets with definite useful lives and therefore continue to be amortized in accordance with accounting guidance. Amortization expense amounted to $99,000, $104,000, and $92,000 for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The weighted-average remaining amortization period for trademarks for 2011 and 2010 was approximately 0 years and two years, respectively. The weighted-average amortization period remaining for patents for 2011 and 2010 was approximately 10 years and 11 years, respectively. Future amortization expense on our amortizable intangible assets over the next five years is estimated as follows:

2012	$	85,000
2013		85,000
2014		85,000
2015		84,000
2016		82,000
	$	421,000

During 2010 and 2009, we wrote off certain foreign patents in countries that had limited commercial potential and/or wrote off certain foreign and domestic patent applications for technologies that were no longer being pursued or had limited commercial potential in their respective countries. Charges in 2011, 2010, and 2009 to general and administrative expense to write off certain abandoned intangible assets were $0, $225,000, and $3,000, respectively, representing their carrying value. As of December 31, 2011,fourteen of our patents had issued in the U.S. and fifty-two had issued in various foreign countries. Various other domestic and foreign applications are pending.