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                                                                      Exhibit 99


BioSphere  Medical  Announces  Artes Medical  Files  Complaint  Alleging  Patent
Infringement

ROCKLAND,   Mass.--(BW   HealthWire)--Feb.   9,  2001--BioSphere  Medical,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:BSMD - news) and its subsidiary BSMD Ventures,  Inc.  learned  yesterday
that Artes Medical USA, Inc.,  based in  California,  filed a suit in the United
States District Court for the Central District of California  against  BioSphere
Medical,  Inc. The complaint  alleges that the company's  microspheres  infringe
United States Patent No. 5,344,452, allegedly assigned to Artes.

As  previously  announced,  BioSphere  received a letter from Artes,  on Friday,
February 2nd,  alleging its products  infringe the Artes  patent.  Subsequently,
BioSphere  filed suit in the United  States  District  Court for the District of
Delaware about the same issue.  ``We  anticipated this action by Artes,'' stated
John Carnuccio,  BioSphere Medical's president and chief executive officer. ``It
is one of the reasons we took  affirmative  action  earlier  this week to file a
complaint in Delaware seeking a declaration that the Artes patent is invalid and
that our  microspheres  do not infringe  the Artes  patent.  Our belief  remains
strong that the  allegations  are without  merit.  We do not believe our product
infringes any claim of this patent and, furthermore,  we believe the patent will
be found to be  invalid.''  The  company's  Embosphere(R)  Microspheres  are the
subject of United States Patent numbers 5,635,215, 5,648,100 and 4,452,916.


About  BioSphere Medical, Inc.

BioSphere Medical, Inc., based in Rockland,  Massachusetts,  is a medical device
company  focused  on  embolotherapy,   the  treatment  of  tumors  and  vascular
malformations by occluding their blood supply. The company is pioneering the use
of  patented  and  proprietary  bioengineered  microspheres  as a new  class  of
embolics.


This press release  contains  forward-looking  statements that involve risks and
uncertainties,  including  those  relating  to the success of the company in its
lawsuit  related to United  States  Patent No.  5,344,452.  Among the  important
factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated
by  forward-looking  statements  in this  release  are the failure to obtain and
defend  patents and other  proprietary  protection  for the company's  products;
failure of the company to achieve or maintain  necessary  regulatory  approvals,
either in the United States or internationally,  with respect to the manufacture
and sale of its products;  failure to successfully develop and commercialize the
Embosphere(R) Microspheres and HepaSphere SAP(TM)  Microsphere  technologies for
uterine artery embolization, targeted liver embolization and other applications;
the absence of or delays and cancellations of, product orders;  the delay in the
introduction  of new  products;  competitive  pressures;  the  inability  of the
company to raise  additional  funds,  if needed,  to  finance  the  development,
marketing,  and sales of its products;  general economic conditions;  as well as
those risk factors  detailed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1999, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2000
and other periodic reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

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Contact:

     BioSphere Medical, Inc.
     Robert Palladino
     781-681-7900