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GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS [Abstract]

4.	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Intangible assets, resulting primarily from acquisitions, include the value assigned to customer lists, trademarks and goodwill. Amortizable intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line or accelerated basis based upon their estimated useful lives.

The entire amount of goodwill is included in the Laboratory Services segment, which is tested annually for impairment during the fourth quarter after the Company's annual forecasting process. No goodwill impairment was recognized in 2011, 2010 or 2009. There were no other changes in the carrying amount of goodwill in 2011, 2010 or 2009.

The components of other intangible assets were as follows at December 31:

(In thousands)		2011						2010
	Weighted average useful life		Gross Carrying Amount	Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount			Gross Carrying Amount	Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount

Amortizable intangible assets:
Customer lists	20.0 years	$	276	$	(157)	$	119	$	2,416	$	(2,256)	$	160
Trademarks and other	14.6 years		255		(61)		194		87		(49)		38
Total	17.4 years	$	531	$	(218)	$	313	$	2,503	$	(2,305)	$	198

Amortization expense for amortizable intangible assets was $56,000, $75,000 and $127,000 during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Future amortization expense for amortizable intangible assets is estimated to be as follows for the years ending December 31:

(In thousands)

2012	$	32
2013		30
2014		27
2015		27
2016		27
2017 and thereafter		170
	$	313

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

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