Alverix Appoints James D. Merselis as President and CEO

Seasoned CEO to Augment Organization, Drive Value and Partnerships for Clients,
Transitioning Assays from the Central Lab to Patient Care Locations without
Sacrificing Quality of Test Results

San Jose, CA, July 16, 2008 - Alverix, Inc., an optoelectronics company developing
portable medical diagnostic instruments in cooperation with leading point-of-care
(POC) diagnostics companies, today announced the appointment of James D. Merselis as
President and Chief Executive Officer. Merselis will also serve as a member of the
Company's board of directors.

"Alverix has a competitive advantage within the growing $5 billion POC marketplace,"
said Gary J. Kurtzman, MD, Chairman of the Board of Alverix and Managing Director in
the Life Sciences Group of Safeguard Scientifics, a provider of growth capital and
operational support to entrepreneurial and innovative technology and life sciences
companies. "We are delighted to have been able to attract an executive of Jim's
caliber to Alverix. Jim has a superior track record of building businesses and
creating value. His extensive industry experience and expertise will be an asset to
Alverix in achieving its fullest potential and ensuring that its innovative
technology is fully and rapidly leveraged."

Most recently, Merselis served as President and CEO of HemoSense, Inc. (AMEX: HEM),
a POC diagnostics company focused initially on providing patients and physicians
with rapid test results to help manage the risk of stroke with the drug warfarin or
Coumadin. HemoSense was acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (AMEX: IMA)
in late 2007 for $265 million. Prior to his tenure at HemoSense, Merselis served as
President and CEO of Micronics, Inc., a microfluidics company that develops near
patient in vitro diagnostic products for disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment
monitoring. In addition, he held a number of positions over twenty-two years with
Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics (now Roche Diagnostics). He currently serves on the
board of Chembio Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCC/BB: CEMI), a developer and manufacturer of
proprietary rapid diagnostic tests. Merselis is also Chairman of Akrotome, Inc., a
newly-formed business with the mission of advancing surgical cancer treatment with
new imaging agents that give surgeons rapid and direct visual differentiation
between diseased cells and normal tissue during surgery.

"Alverix's novel technology has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics
and dramatically improve patient care by enabling more sensitive, affordable,
immediate and accurate testing for almost any health condition, in nearly any
setting," said Jim Merselis, CEO of Alverix. "I am honored to join the Alverix team
of seasoned engineers and talented scientists, many whose pedigree and experience
comes from more than 30 years at Hewlett Packard, as well as the Company's investors
and advisors to drive value and build collaborations with corporate partners."

Jim Merselis, along with other members from Alverix, will be attending the upcoming
American Association for Clinical Chemistry conference in Washington, DC from July
27-31, 2008. The AACC is an international scientific / medical society of clinical
laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists and other individuals
involved with clinical chemistry and related disciplines.

About Alverix
Alverix is a private optoelectronics technology company developing next-generation
medical diagnostic products using its proprietary technology, combining its
partners' analytes with its imaging capabilities to provide rapid, accurate and
portable diagnostics. Alverix was spun out from Avago Technologies, a leading
supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer
applications, and is building upon a 30-year legacy with Agilent Technologies and
Hewlett Packard in optical sensors, image processing, software and signal
enhancement algorithms. Alverix is a portfolio company of Safeguard Scientifics,
Inc. (NYSE: SFE), a provider of growth capital and operational support to
entrepreneurial and innovative technology and life sciences companies; and New
Venture Partners LLC, the global venture capital firm dedicated to corporate
technology spinouts that provides a bridge between technology corporations and
traditional venture capital through its unique, hands-on approach. For more
information about Alverix, please visit www.alverix.com.

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CONTACTS:
Business Contact:
Beverly Cormier, VP Business Development
Alverix, Inc.
619-318-0303

Press Contact:
Meredith Glanzmann
Gregory FCA
(610) 642-8253 x112
Meredith@gregoryfca.com