Intangible and Other Assets

Patents amounted to $130 thousand and $137 thousand, net of accumulated amortization of $774 thousand and $767 thousand, at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. Licenses amounted to $64 thousand and $65 thousand, net of accumulated amortization of $11 thousand and $10 thousand, at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. Patent cost is primarily composed of cost associated with securing and registering patents that the Company has been awarded or that have been submitted to, and the Company believes will be approved by, the government. License cost is composed of the cost to acquire rights to the underlying technology or know-how. These costs are capitalized and amortized over their useful lives or terms, ordinarily five years, using the straight-line method. There are no expected residual values related to these patents. Amortization expense, relating to patents and licenses, was approximately $13 thousand and $16 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

For disclosure purposes, the table below includes future amortization expense for patents and licenses owned by the Company as well as estimated amortization expense related to patents that remain pending at March 31, 2012 of $125 thousand. This estimated expense for patents pending assumes that the patents are issued immediately, and therefore are being amortized over five years on a straight-line basis. Estimated amortization expense for the periods ending December 31, is as follows:



(in thousands)	Amortization Expense
2012 remaining 9 months	$	60
2013	74
2014	65
2015	44
2016 and beyond	76
	$	319

Also included in other assets are refundable deposits made by the Company of approximately $163 thousand at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.