MMTC Micro Imaging Technology Inc (CE)

COMPANY OVERVIEW

We were incorporated in December 1979 in California under the name HOH Water Technology Corporation and changed our name to Electropure, Inc. in 1996. In November 2005, we again changed our name to Micro Imaging Technology, Inc. as a condition of the sale of our EDI assets (see discussion of Electropure EDI, Inc. below). Our address and telephone number is: 970 Calle Amanecer, Suite F, San Clemente, California 92673 – (949) 388-4546.

In October 1997, we acquired an exclusive license to patent and intellectual property rights involving laser light scattering techniques to be utilized in the detection and monitoring of toxicants in drinking water. In February 2000, we formed Micro Imaging Technology (MIT), a wholly-owned Nevada subsidiary to conduct research and development based upon advancements we developed and patented from the licensed technology.

In October 2005, in order to generate working capital to support the research and development efforts of our MIT subsidiary, we sold our 30,000 square foot building and the assets of our Nevada subsidiary, Electropure EDI, Inc. At that time, the Company changed its corporate identity to Micro Imaging Technology, Inc. The Company is also registered to do business under the trade name Micro Identification Technologies.

DEVELOPMENT OF OUR BUSINESS

MICRO IMAGING TECHNOLOGY

The acquisition of the MIT patent and intellectual property rights in 1997 provides the basis for our development of near “real-time” fluid monitoring systems for water monitoring as well as food processing and clinical applications. The technology transferred under the October 25, 1997 agreement with Wyatt Technology Corporation had, at inception, two main areas for exploitation:

The feasibility of the technology had already been confirmed, although never commercialized in this area of application, during a study by Wyatt for the U. S. Army through a Small Business Innovative Research program conducted in the 1980’s. We believe that the technology for this application may well represent a major opportunity on a worldwide basis for future growth of consumer market products and the currently available instrumentation and methods being developed by us appear to provide a more immediate path to developing the technology for this concept.

Our initial proof-of-principal testing in 1998 demonstrated the ability, in a laboratory setting, to detect and monitor parasites, primarily Cryptosporidium and Giardia ¹ in drinking water.

Potential customers for a water monitoring system would include local water utilities, both private and municipal; state water utilities and water quality and health agencies; federal government agencies such as EPA, DoD, DoE, CDC; wastewater treatment plants; ground water and well users; and potentially, as the cost of the sensors and system decreases, homeowners.

However, we believe development of an MIT System for food processing and clinical laboratory applications will be achieved more rapidly because it will not require the specialized instrumentation necessary for water monitoring. Consequently, we have focused our research efforts to address these areas, each of which we believe may achieve cost and efficiency benefits similar to the proposed water monitoring device. In addition to Cryptosporidium and Giardia protozoas, this technology has also demonstrated in proof-of-principal testing, identification of the bacteria E. coli , Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria typhi Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The Company intends to add to the System the ability to identify additional pathogens including, but not limited to, Klebsiella, Proteus, Shigella.

In February 2006, the Company contracted with North American Science Associates, Inc. (“NAMSA”), a highly regarded international testing and verification laboratory, to design and perform a verification test that compares the speed, accuracy and efficiency of MIT’s rapid microbe identification system with conventional processes. The comparative tests were a double-blind experiment, meaning that the independent NAMSA laboratory technicians, using the MIT System and a well-recognized alternative, were not aware of the tested microbes’ identification. NAMSA chose the industry standard Sherlock Microbial Gas Chromatographic Identification System (“MIDI”) to verify the accuracy of MIT’s diagnostic capabilities.

The MIT system scored 98 percent correct identifications in fifty tests, with each test consuming only several minutes for sample preparation and an average three minutes for testing. The MIDI system accuracy was 80 percent and failed to identify, with several attempts, one very common and dangerous bacterium, E. coli 0157:H7 . NAMSA then employed a conventional biological testing method which finally matched the unidentified bacterium with MIT’s identification. The MIDI system took hours per test and the biological testing method required days. We believe that the NAMSA tests verified the accuracy, speed and efficiency of the MIT System over conventionally accepted processes.

In June 2009, the Company received Association of Advanced Communities (AOAC) Research Institute ( AOAC RI ) Performance Test Method ^tm (PTM) certification for the MIT 1000 System’s identification of Listeria species (PTM Certificate Number 060901) . Listeria are known to be the bacteria responsible for listeriosis , a rare but lethal food-borne infection that has a devastating case fatality rate of 25% ( Salmonella , in comparison, has a less than 1% mortality rate). They are incredibly hardy and able to grow in temperatures ranging from 4°C (39°F), the temperature of a refrigerator, to 37°C (99°F), the body’s internal temperature. Furthermore, listeriosis’ deadliness can be partially attributed to the infection’s ability to spread to the nervous system and cause meningitis . This Certification enables the Company to aggressively begin marketing its System into the targeted food safety markets.

In April 2012, the Company submitted applications to the AOAC RI for Performance Test Method Certification for the MIT 1000 System’s for accurate bacterial identifications of the pathogens E. coli and Salmonella. When certified for the two additional pathogenic bacteria identification processes, the Company’s System will have the proven capability of identifying over 90 percent of all bacteria-causing, food-related illnesses. Additional microbes will be certified as required by the market.

The food processing and clinical applications for our MIT System for rapid identification of microbes will in some cases undergo stringent and lengthy regulatory approval processes in the United States, including clinical trials. To gain beta-site testing data, in June 2007 we sold and installed two MIT systems in an instrumentation distribution company and a food research laboratory in Japan through Yotsubishi Corporation, a subsidiary of Sibata Scientific Technology. We believe that the operating results from these installations has aided in further commercializing the MIT System for clinical and food processing applications. In October 2009, we sold an MIT system to a newly appointed Malaysian distributor which sells, markets and distributes research and scientific products for the countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). No assurances can be given, however, as to when or if additional Systems may be sold through this or any other distributor.

¹                 Cryptosporidium (Cryptosporidium parvum ) and Giardia (Giardia lamblia ) are waterborne protozoan parasites which contaminate water sources such as wells, rivers, streams, and lakes, generally through animal and fowl fecal deposits.

Although the water monitoring application for the MIT System will not require regulatory review and approval, this application will require more extensive development efforts because of the vast array of contaminants commonly found in water and the need to configure a unique method and apparatus for isolating the water being tested. For these reasons, we expect that a practical device for the water monitoring application of our technology will not be commercialized until we have successfully introduced and gained acceptance of an MIT System in the clinical and food processing market segments.

Based on a very preliminary evaluation of market needs and the size and number of possible customers, we estimate that the market potential for the MIT System in all of the above domestic market areas could exceed $3 billion annually. More detailed market validation will be conducted as our development program continues.

With regard to the MIT System, there are established methods of testing currently employed by both public and private agencies. However, these methods are labor intensive, expensive and time consuming, and do not provide the rapid capabilities which our product offers. We believe that the MIT System is the only microbe identification system that is not biologically based – that is, does not rely on biological agents or reagents.

The Markets for Microbe Identification

The number of applications for our laser-based rapid microbe detection system is large, including food inspection, clinical applications and water testing. However, we have elected in the near term to focus on food inspection:

The Food and Drug Administration currently requires elaborate laboratory procedures taking up to 64 hours to identify E. coli, Salmonella or Listeria. According to industry analysts at Strategic Consultants, Inc (Scarborough, ME.) there were over 144 million microbiology tests performed in almost 6,000 plants. The analysts further report that food manufacturers and processors anticipate a continued increase in testing as regulatory agencies require more surveillance and monitoring programs. The MIT system identifies bacteria, after culturing, in less than 5 minutes, thus minimizing the testing and reporting time which minimizes health risks, product recall dangers and expenses to the producer.

On January 9, 2007, the Company entered into a non-exclusive agreement to supply MIT products to JMAR Technologies as a tandem product to its real-time water monitoring system or as a stand-alone instrument for laboratory use. In 2008, the Company ceased its business arrangement with JMAR which subsequently discontinued its business. JMAR was a San Diego, California based company that had a direct sales and support organization and manufactured laser-based products for multiple markets, including homeland security, the cruise ship and beverage industries, pharmaceutical companies, and municipal water utilities.

In August 2007, we engaged the services of John Ricardi, JMAR’s former Vice President for Sales and Marketing. Mr. Ricardi provides sales, marketing and business development services to the Company and through his efforts thus far, the Company has appointed seven (7) exclusive distributors for MIT products in various territories, including, Taiwan and China, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, South Korea, Turkey, Malaysia and a number of ASEAN countries (including Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, and Myanmar).

Patents

In July 2002, we were granted U.S. Patent No. 6,639,672 on our MIT rapid microbe detection technology. Due to a clerical oversight, the patent expired in October 2011 for failure to pay the required maintenance fee. Payment was submitted in October 2012 and the patent was reinstated in January 2013. We also received a U.S. Continuation-in-part patent on this technology on October 28, 2003 which, likewise, expired in July 2010. Company has paid the delinquent fee and applied to reinstate such patent and is currently awaiting approval from the U.S. Patent Office.

On May 8, 2012, Alpine MIT Partners, LLC filed a lien against the Company’s patents under the California Uniform Commercial Code. See also “Item 3. Legal Proceedings.”

Because the review and approval process associated with filing for patent protection on new products can be lengthy, we cannot be certain when, or if, foreign patents will be issued for any of our pending applications. The existence of a patent may not provide us any meaningful protection because of technological changes, the decision of courts not to uphold all or part of a patent, or because of the limited financial resources that may be available to enforce patent rights. We do not believe that any of our individual patents is of sufficient importance that its termination or expiration would have a material adverse effect on the Company. Conversely, we believe that our technical know-how and trade secrets may be more significant to our business than trademark or patent protection although we will continue to apply for patents on any inventions or improvements made in the normal course of our business.

“Micro Imaging Technology” and “Micro Identification Technologies” are registered trademarks of the Company.

Research and Development

During fiscal 2012, we expended $489,044 primarily on our MIT System research program to develop a microbiological detection and monitoring system derived from the technology acquired from Wyatt in October 1997. We concluded Phase 1 research on the Micro Imaging System in 1998 with a laboratory system that was used to prove the scientific principal and initiated phase two of our research program which resulted in the development of a more advanced system and the culmination of the library for the identification for various pathogens. We expect to continue to incur and accelerate additional research and development costs on this MIT System project through continued product development and library expansion efforts.

During fiscal 2011, we spent $460,275 on similar research and development activities.

Compliance with Environmental Laws

We do not produce hazardous waste as a result of our research activities. Consequently, our costs for compliance with federal, state and local environmental laws are negligible.

Personnel

As of October 31, 2012, we employed 7 full-time employees or consultants, of whom three were engaged in administrative, marketing, accounting and clerical functions and four were engaged in research and development of the Company’s MIT System. To implement our MIT business strategies, we anticipate that we will hire additional employees in fiscal 2013. However, we cannot predict with any certainty when we will hire any additional personnel. We believe that our relationship with our employees is good and we are not a party to any collective bargaining agreement. Our future success will be dependent upon our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.

Risks and Uncertainties

Failure to raise additional capital could seriously reduce our ability to compete or harm our ability to continue operations

From time to time we have experienced and continue to experience working capital shortfalls that slowed the development of our research on the MIT technology. We will be required to raise substantial amounts of new financing, through equity investments, loans or strategic alliances, to carry out our business objectives. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us and at the time we require, or at all. Further, any such financing may cause substantial dilution of the interests of current stockholders. If we are unable to obtain such additional financing, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company will be materially adversely affected. Moreover, our estimates of cash requirements to carry out our current business objectives are based upon certain assumptions, including assumptions as to revenues, net income or loss and other factors, and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate or that unforeseen costs will not be incurred. Future events, including the problems, delays, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by similarly situated companies, as well as changes in economic, regulatory or competitive conditions, may lead to cost increases that could have a material adverse effect on us and our plans. If we are not successful in obtaining loans or equity financing, it is unlikely that we will have sufficient cash to continue to conduct operations. We believe that to raise needed capital, we may be required to issue debt or equity securities that are significantly lower than the current market price of our common stock. However, no assurances can be given that we can obtain additional working capital through the sale of common stock or other securities, the issuance of indebtedness or otherwise or on terms acceptable to us. Further, no assurances can be given that any such equity financing will not result in a further substantial dilution to the existing stockholders or will be on terms satisfactory to us.

We have a history of losses which are likely to continue

From our inception in 1979 through October 31, 2012, we have accumulated a loss of $45,411,481 and a net stockholders’ deficit of $477,731. The accumulated loss is principally due to expenses incurred in the development of the now disposed of EDI product, initial manufacturing start-up costs, initial marketing efforts, administrative expenses and interest, as well as the expenses associated with the research and development of MIT laser-based monitoring technology acquired in 1997. The report of our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012 contains an explanatory paragraph as to our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. As discussed in the notes to the financial statements, our negative cash flows from operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in the notes to the financial statements and in Item 6 - “MANAGEMENTS’ DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.”

Although we sold our first two MIT Systems during 2007 and a single additional System in October 2009, MIT is considered to be a research and development operation. As such, it has no significant or recurring operating income and its prospects must be considered speculative considering the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered in the development of a new technology. While laboratory results and other tests have been encouraging, substantial additional development efforts will be required. The development of the MIT System involves significant risks, which a combination of experience, knowledge and careful evaluation may not be able to overcome. There can be no assurance that unanticipated problems will not occur which would result in material delays in our product development, or that our efforts will result in successful product commercialization on a sustainable level. There can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve profitable operations.

We have limited patent protection

Should the Company’s effort to reinstate its expired patent be successful, we would own two U.S. patents on our MIT technology. (See also “Development of our Business – Patents” above.) We may not be able to afford the expenses required to enforce any patent we may now or in the future own and no assurances can be given that any patents would be upheld if challenged, or if upheld, would provide us with meaningful protection. We also rely on trade secrets and know-how as regards the MIT technology that is not patentable. Although we have taken steps to protect our unpatented trade secrets and know-how, in part through the use of confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants and certain of our contractors, there can be no assurance that:

Our competitors are larger and better financed

The microbe identification industry continues to undergo rapid change with intense competition that is expected to increase. There can be no assurance that our competitors have not or will not succeed in developing technologies and products that are more accurate than the MIT System microbe identification and monitoring method and would, accordingly, render the MIT System obsolete and noncompetitive. Many of our competitors have substantially greater experience, financial and technical resources and production, marketing and development capabilities. Accordingly, certain of those competitors may succeed in obtaining regulatory approval for products more rapidly or effectively than us. We will also be competing with respect to sales and marketing capabilities, areas in which we currently have little experience.

Continued technological changes and government regulations could adversely affect our sales

The technology upon which the MIT System relies may undergo rapid development and change. There can be no assurance that the technology utilized by us will be competitive in light of possible future technological developments. Further, we cannot assure that our technology will not become obsolete or that we will have adequate funds to meet technological changes.

There can be no assurance that we will be successful in developing the MIT System to respond to technological changes or evolving industry standards, that we will not experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, introduction and marketing of the MIT System, or that any new products will adequately satisfy the requirements of prospective customers and achieve market acceptance. If we are unable to develop and introduce new or improved products in a timely manner in response to changing market conditions or customer requirements, our business, operating results and financial condition will be materially adversely affected.

Dependent upon the field of application, the MIT System, when commercialized, may be subject to extensive regulation by numerous governmental authorities and regulatory agencies worldwide prior to introduction of the product. The process of obtaining required regulatory approvals may be lengthy and expensive depending on the jurisdiction. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain the necessary approvals to conduct clinical trials for the manufacturing and marketing of products, that all necessary clearances will be granted to us for future products on a timely basis, or at all, or that review or other actions by the regulatory agencies will not involve delays adversely affecting the marketing and sale of our products. In addition, the testing and approval process with respect to certain products which we may develop or seek to introduce may take a substantial number of years and involve the expenditure of substantial resources. There can be no assurance that the MIT System will be cleared for marketing by the regulatory agencies of the countries in which we seek to gain distribution rights. Failure to obtain any necessary approvals or failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Further, future government regulation could prevent or delay regulatory approval of our products.

If we fail to attract and retain key personnel, our ability to compete will be harmed

Our future success is highly dependent on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including technical personnel, executive officers and other key management. The loss or unavailability of services of one or more of our key employees, including Michael Brennan, our chief executive officer, or our inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate effectively.

Risks relating to our common stock

Because there is a limited market in our common stock, stockholders may have difficulty in selling our common stock and our common stock may be subject to significant price swings.

There can be no assurance that an active market for our common stock will develop. If an active public market for our common stock does not develop, stockholders may not be able to re-sell the shares of our Common Stock that they own and affect the value of the stock.

If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed from the OTC Bulletin Board which would limit the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of stockholders to sell their securities in the secondary market.

Companies trading on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board, such as we, must be reporting issuers under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and must be current in their reports under Section 13, in order to maintain price quotation privileges on the OTC Bulletin Board. If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed from the OTC Bulletin Board. As a result, the market liquidity for our securities could be severely adversely affected by limiting the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of stockholders to sell their securities in the secondary market. In addition, we may be unable to get re-listed on the OTC Bulletin Board, which may have an adverse material effect on our Company.

Our common stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and the trading market in our securities is limited, which makes transactions in our stock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in our stock.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted Rule 15g-9 which establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for the purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require:

In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must:

The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prescribed by the Commission relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form:

Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules. This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock and cause a decline in the market value of our stock.

Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and about the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.

The exercise of outstanding options and warrants may have a dilutive effect on the price of our common stock.

To the extent that outstanding stock options and warrants are exercised, dilution to our stockholders will occur. Moreover, the terms upon which we will be able to obtain additional equity capital may be adversely affected, since the holders of the outstanding options and warrants can be expected to exercise them at a time when we would, in all likelihood, be able to obtain any needed capital on terms more favorable to us than the exercise terms provided by the outstanding options and warrants.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the future. Any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.

We do not currently anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting it at such time as the board of directors may consider relevant. Our current intention is to apply net earnings, if any, in the foreseeable future to increasing our capital base and development and marketing efforts. There can be no assurance that the Company will ever have sufficient earnings to declare and pay dividends to the holders of our common stock, and in any event, a decision to declare and pay dividends is at the sole discretion of the our Board of Directors. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if its stock price appreciates.