VIASPACE Patent Application Expands Claims to Humidity Sensing in Automobile Exhaust Systems and Factory Emissions

PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 10 -- VIASPACE Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: VSPC) , a company that transforms proven space and defense technologies from NASA and the Department of Defense into hardware and software solutions, announced today that its VIASPACE Energy unit filed a patent application for expanded claims for use of its new humidity sensor in the external sensing of humidity in exhaust streams of combustion emission gases and for sensing of humidity within a fuel cell system or a combustion device exhaust system.

The VIASPACE relative humidity sensor, the HS-1000 VIASENSOR, currently measures humidity in gas based fuel cells. VIASPACE Energy's new patent claims expand the field to include measurement of humidity in emissions streams such as auto exhaust gases and smokestacks, and for internal humidity sensing in fuel cell systems or combustion device exhaust systems.

Fuel cells are very sensitive units in regard to the operating level of humidity. If the humidity is too high or too low, the fuel cell will either fail to operate, or operate at an unacceptable level of efficiency for commercial use. The HS-1000 VIASENSOR provides cutting edge, laser based readings of humidity in fuel cells directly from the gas line in near real time. VIASPACE has discovered similar interest in the level of humidity in combustion engine exhaust gases.

Dr. Carl Kukkonen, CEO of VIASPACE, reports, "We have been extremely pleased with the early success of global orders and the extremely high level of market interest in our new humidity instrument, the HS-1000 VIASENSOR. These new patent claims are based on early feedback we have received from discussions with several large automotive manufacturers and major manufacturers of auto industry instrumentation equipment. With this new patent application, we are adding to our existing large intellectual property portfolio concerning alternative energy products.

This patent describes several additional methods to allow consumers to verify the level of humidity within a fuel cell system such as that proposed to power fuel cell or hybrid energy automobiles. The patent further describes use of the device to measure levels of humidity in the emissions of exhaust gases common to combustion engine automobiles that we believe will be extremely valuable in the future. We will be expediting the development of these new versions of our HS-1000 humidity sensor in order to meet what we see as several large new market opportunities in alternative energy products. This patent enables us to rapidly expand our interests in alternative energy products, based on direct feedback of immediate and future needs from potential users."

About VIASPACE: Founded in 1998 with the objective of transforming proven space and defense technologies from NASA and the Department of Defense into hardware and software solutions that solve today's complex problems, VIASPACE benefits from important patent and software licenses from Caltech, which manages NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more information, please see http://www.viaspace.com/, or contact Dr. Jan Vandersande, Director of Communications at 800-517-8050, or IR@VIASPACE.com.