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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.44


                                 BIOFIELD CORP.

                             1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN

                            Adopted January 29, 1996
                         Amendments Adopted June 5, 1997

         SECTION 1. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Biofield Corp. 1996 Stock Option
Plan (the "Plan") is to provide a means whereby selected employees, officers,
directors, agents, consultants, and independent contractors of Biofield Corp., a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), or of any parent or subsidiary (as defined
in subsection 5.7 hereof and referred to hereinafter as "Affiliates") thereof,
may be granted incentive stock options and/or nonqualified stock options to
purchase shares of common stock, $.001 par value ("Common Stock") in order to
attract and retain the services or advice of such directors, employees,
officers, agents, consultants, and independent contractors and to provide
additional incentive for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success
of the Company and its Affiliates by encouraging stock ownership in the Company.

         SECTION 2. ADMINISTRATION. Subject to Section 2.3 hereof, the Plan
shall be administered by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") or,
in the event the Board shall appoint and/or authorize a committee of two or more
members of the Board to administer the Plan, by such committee. The
administrator of the Plan shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Plan
Administrator".

         The foregoing notwithstanding, in the event the Company shall register
any of its equity securities pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and any
directors are eligible to receive options under the Plan, then with respect to
grants to be made to directors: (a) the Plan Administrator shall be constituted
so as to meet the requirements of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule
16b-3 thereunder, each as amended from time to time, or (b) if the Plan
Administrator cannot be so constituted, no options shall be granted under the
Plan to any directors.

                  2.1 PROCEDURES. The Board shall designate one of the members
of the Plan Administrator as chairman. The Plan Administrator may hold meetings
at such times and places as it shall determine. The acts of a majority of the
members of the Plan Administrator present at meetings at which a quorum exists,
or acts approved in writing by all Plan Administrator members, shall be valid
acts of the Plan Administrator.

                  2.2 RESPONSIBILITIES. Except for the terms and conditions
explicitly set forth herein, the Plan Administrator shall have the authority, in
its discretion, to determine all matters relating to the options to be granted
under the Plan, including, without limitation, selection of whether an option
will be an incentive stock option or a nonqualified stock option, selection of
the individuals to be granted options, the number of shares to be subject to
each option, the exercise

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price per share, the timing of grants and all other terms and conditions of the
options. Grants under the Plan need not be identical in any respect, even when
made simultaneously. The Plan Administrator may also establish, amend, and
revoke rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan. The
interpretation and construction by the Plan Administrator of any terms or
provisions of the Plan or any option issued hereunder, or of any rule or
regulation promulgated in connection herewith, shall be conclusive and binding
on all interested parties, so long as such interpretation and construction with
respect to incentive stock options corresponds to the requirements of Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") Section 422, the regulations
thereunder, and any amendments thereto. The Plan Administrator shall not be
personally liable for any action made in good faith with respect to the Plan or
any option granted thereunder.

                  2.3 RULE 16B-3 AND SECTION 16(b) COMPLIANCE; BIFURCATION OF
PLAN. It is the intention of the Company that the Plan comply in all respects
with Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, to the extent applicable, and in all
events the Plan shall be construed in favor of its meeting the requirements of
Rule 16b-3. If any Plan provision is later found not to be in compliance with
such Rule, such provision shall be deemed null and void. The Board of Directors
may act under the Plan only if all members thereof are "disinterested persons"
as defined in Rule 16b-3 and further described in Section 4 hereof; and from and
after the date that the Company first registers a class of equity securities
under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, no director or officer or other Company
"insider" subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act may sell shares received
upon the exercise of an option during the six month period immediately following
the grant of the option. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary,
the Board, in its absolute discretion, may bifurcate the Plan so as to restrict,
limit, or condition the use of any provision of the Plan to participants who are
officers and directors or other persons subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange
Act without so restricting, limiting, or conditioning the Plan with respect to
other participants.

         SECTION 3. STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. The stock subject to this Plan
shall be the Common Stock, presently authorized but unissued or subsequently
acquired by the Company. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 7 hereof,
the aggregate amount of Common Stock to be delivered upon the exercise of all
options granted under the Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate 1,000,000
shares as such Common Stock was constituted on the effective date of the Plan.
If any option granted under the Plan shall expire, be surrendered, exchanged for
another option, cancelled, or terminated for any reason without having been
exercised in full, the unpurchased shares subject thereto shall thereupon again
be available for purposes of the Plan, including for replacement options which
may be granted in exchange for such surrendered, cancelled, or terminated
options.

         SECTION 4. ELIGIBILITY. An incentive stock option may be granted only
to any individual who, at the time the option is granted, is an employee of the
Company or any Affiliate thereof. A nonqualified stock option may be granted to
any director, employee, officer, agent, consultant, or independent contractor of
the Company or any Affiliate thereof, whether an individual or an entity. Any
party to whom an option is granted under the Plan shall be referred to
hereinafter as an "Optionee".


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                  A director shall in no event be eligible for the benefits of
the Plan unless at the time discretion is exercised in the selection of a
director as a person to whom options may be granted, or in the determination of
the number of shares which may be covered by options granted to the director,
the Plan complies with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

         SECTION 5. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS. Options granted under the
Plan shall be evidenced by written agreements which shall contain such terms,
conditions, limitations, and restrictions as the Plan Administrator shall deem
advisable and which are not inconsistent with the Plan. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, options shall include or incorporate by reference the following terms
and conditions:

                  5.1 NUMBER OF SHARES AND PRICE. The maximum number of shares
that may be purchased pursuant to the exercise of each option, and the price per
share at which such option is exercisable (the "exercise price"), shall be as
established by the Plan Administrator; provided, that the Plan Administrator
shall act in good faith to establish the exercise price which shall be not less
than 100% of the fair market value per share of the Common Stock at the time of
grant of the option with respect to incentive stock options and not less than
85% of the fair market value per share of the Common Stock at the time the
option is granted with respect to non-qualified stock options; and provided,
further, that, with respect to incentive stock options granted to greater than
ten percent stockholders, the exercise price shall be as required by Section 6
hereof. In addition, in any five year period no individual may be granted
options under the Plan to purchase more than 500,000 shares of Common Stock,
subject to adjustment as set forth in Section 7.

                  5.2 TERM AND MATURITY. Subject to the restrictions contained
in Section 6 hereof with respect to granting stock options to greater than ten
percent stockholders, the term of each stock option shall be as established by
the Plan Administrator and, if not so established, shall be ten years from the
date of its grant, but in no event shall the term of any incentive stock option
exceed a ten year period. To ensure that the Company or Affiliate will achieve
the purpose and receive the benefits contemplated in the Plan, any option
granted to any Optionee hereunder shall, unless the condition of this sentence
is waived or modified in the agreement evidencing the option or by resolution
adopted by the Plan Administrator, be exercisable according to the following
schedule:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                  Period of Optionee's
                  Continuous Relationship
                  With the Company or
                  Affiliate From the Date            Portion of Total Option
                  the Option is Granted               Which is Exercisable
                  ---------------------               --------------------
                  <S>                                <C>
                          1 year                               25%
                          2 years                              50%
                          3 years                              75%
                          4 years                             100%
</TABLE>


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                  5.3 EXERCISE. Subject to the vesting schedule described in
subsection 5.2 hereof, each option may be exercised in whole or in part;
provided, that only whole shares may be issued pursuant to the exercise of any
option. Subject to any other terms and conditions herein, the Plan Administrator
may provide that an option may not be exercised in whole or in part for a stated
period or periods of time during which such option is outstanding; provided,
that the Plan Administrator may rescind, modify, or waive any such limitation at
any time and from time to time after the grant date thereof. During an
Optionee's lifetime, any incentive stock options granted under the Plan are
personal to such Optionee and are exercisable solely by such Optionee. Options
shall be exercised by delivery to the Company of notice of the number of shares
with respect to which the option is exercised, together with payment of the
exercise price in accordance with Section 5.4 hereof.

                  5.4 PAYMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE. Payment of the option exercise
price shall be made in full at the time the notice of exercise of the option is
delivered to the Company and shall be in cash, bank certified or cashier's
check, or personal check (unless at the time of exercise the Plan Administrator
in a particular case determines not to accept a personal check) for shares of
Common Stock being purchased.

                  The Plan Administrator can determine at the time the option is
granted in the case of incentive stock options, or at any time before exercise
in the case of nonqualified stock options, that additional forms of payment will
be permitted.

                  To the extent permitted by the Plan Administrator and
applicable laws and regulations (including, without limitation, federal tax and
securities laws and regulations and state corporate law), an option may be
exercised by delivery of a properly executed Notice of Exercise, together with
irrevocable instructions to a broker, all in accordance with the regulations of
the Federal Reserve Board, to promptly deliver to the Company the amount of sale
or loan proceeds to pay the exercise price and any federal, state, or local
withholding tax obligations that may arise in connection with the exercise;
provided, that the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, may at any time
determine that this sentence, to the extent the instructions to the broker call
for an immediate sale of the shares, shall not be applicable to any Optionee who
is subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, or is not an employee at the
time of exercise.

                  5.5 WITHHOLDING TAX REQUIREMENT. The Company or any Affiliate
thereof shall have the right to retain and withhold from any payment of cash or
Common Stock under the Plan the amount of taxes required by any government to be
withheld or otherwise deducted and paid with respect to such payment. No option
may be exercised unless and until arrangements satisfactory to the Company, in
its sole discretion, to pay such withholding taxes are made. At its discretion,
the Company may require an Optionee to reimburse the Company for any such taxes
required to be withheld by the Company and withhold any distribution in whole or
in part until the Company is so reimbursed. In lieu thereof, the Company shall
have the right to withhold from any other cash amounts due or to become due from
the Company to the Optionee an amount equal to such taxes or retain and withhold
a number of shares having a market value not less than the amount of such taxes
required to be withheld by the Company to reimburse the Company for any


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such taxes and cancel (in whole or in part) any such shares of Common Stock so
withheld. If required by Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, the election to pay
withholding taxes by delivery of shares of Common Stock held by any person who
at the time of exercise is subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act shall be
made either six months prior to the date the option exercise becomes taxable or
at such other times as the Company may determine as necessary to comply with
Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. Although the Company may, in its discretion,
accept Common Stock as payment of withholding taxes, the Company shall not be
obligated to do so.

                  5.6 NONTRANSFERABILITY.

                      5.6.1 OPTION. Options granted under the Plan and the
rights and privileges conferred hereby may not be transferred, assigned,
pledged, or hypothecated in any manner (whether by operation of law or
otherwise) other than by will or by the applicable laws of descent and
distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined in
Section 414(p) of the Code, or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules thereunder, and shall not be
subject to execution, attachment, or similar process. Any attempt to transfer,
assign, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise dispose of any option under the Plan
or of any right or privilege conferred hereby, contrary to the Code or to the
provisions of the Plan, or the sale or levy or any attachment or similar process
upon the rights and privileges conferred hereby shall be null and void ab
initio. The designation by an Optionee of a beneficiary does not, in and of
itself, constitute an impermissible transfer under this subsection 5.6.1.

                      5.6.2 STOCK. The Plan Administrator may provide in the
agreement granting the option that (a) the Optionee may not transfer or
otherwise dispose of shares acquired upon exercise of an option without first
offering such shares to the Company for purchase on the same terms and
conditions as those offered to the proposed transferee or (b) upon termination
of employment of an Optionee the Company shall have a six month right of
repurchase as to the shares acquired upon exercise, which right of repurchase
shall allow for a maximum purchase price equal to the fair market value of the
shares on the termination date. The foregoing rights of the Company shall be
assignable by the Company upon reasonable written notice to the Optionee.

                  5.7 TERMINATION OF RELATIONSHIP. If the Optionee's
relationship with the Company or any Affiliate thereof ceases for any reason
other than termination for cause, death, or total disability, and unless by its
terms the option sooner terminates or expires, then the Optionee may exercise,
for a three month period, that portion of the Optionee's option which is
exercisable at the time of such cessation, but the Optionee's option shall
terminate at the end of the three month period following such cessation as to
all shares for which it has not theretofore been exercised, unless, in the case
of a nonqualified stock option, such provision is waived in the agreement
evidencing the option or by resolution adopted by the Plan Administrator within
90 days of such cessation. If, in the case of an incentive stock option, an
Optionee's relationship with the Company or Affiliate thereof changes from
employee to nonemployee (i.e., from employee to a position such as a
consultant), such change shall constitute a termination of an Optionee's
employment with the Company or Affiliate and the Optionee's incentive stock
option shall terminate in accordance with this subsection 5.7.


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                  If an Optionee is terminated for cause, any option granted
hereunder shall automatically terminate as of the first discovery by the Company
of any reason for termination for cause, and such Optionee shall thereupon have
no right to purchase any shares pursuant to such option. "Termination for cause"
shall mean dismissal for dishonesty, conviction or confession of a crime
punishable by law (except minor violations), fraud, misconduct, or disclosure of
confidential information. If an Optionee's relationship with the Company or any
Affiliate thereof is suspended pending an investigation of whether or not the
Optionee shall be terminated for cause, all Optionee's rights under any option
granted hereunder likewise shall be suspended during the period of
investigation.

                  If an Optionee's relationship with the Company or any
Affiliate thereof ceases because of a total disability, the Optionee's option
shall not terminate or, in the case of an incentive stock option, cease to be
treated as an incentive stock option until the end of the 12 month period
following such cessation (unless by its terms it sooner terminates and expires).
As used in the Plan, the term "total disability" refers to a mental or physical
impairment of the Optionee which is expected to result in death or which has
lasted or is, in the opinion of the Company and two independent physicians,
expected to last for a continuous period of 12 months or more and which causes
or is, in such opinion, expected to cause the Optionee to be unable to perform
his or her duties for the Company and to be engaged in any substantial gainful
activity. Total disability shall be deemed to have occurred on the first day
after the Company and the two independent physicians have furnished their
opinion of total disability to the Plan Administrator.

                  For purposes of this subsection 5.7, a transfer of
relationship between or among the Company and/or any Affiliate thereof shall not
be deemed to constitute a cessation of relationship with the Company or any of
its Affiliates. For purposes of this subsection 5.7, with respect to incentive
stock options, employment shall be deemed to continue while the Optionee is on
military leave, sick leave, or other bona fide leave of absence (as determined
by the Plan Administrator). The foregoing notwithstanding, employment shall not
be deemed to continue beyond the first 90 days of such leave, unless the
Optionee's reemployment rights are guaranteed by statute or by contract.

                  As used herein, the term "Affiliate" shall be defined as
follows: (a) when referring to a subsidiary corporation, "Affiliate" shall mean
any corporation (other than the Company) in, at the time of the granting of the
option, an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company, if stock
possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of
stock of each of the corporations other than the Company is owned by one of the
other corporations in such chain; and (b) when referring to a parent
corporation, "Affiliate" shall mean any corporation in an unbroken chain of
corporations ending with the Company if, at the time of the granting of the
option, each of the corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing
50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of
the other corporations in such chain.

                  5.8 DEATH OF OPTIONEE. If an Optionee dies while he or she has
a relationship with the Company or any Affiliate thereof or within the three
month period (or 12 month period


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<PAGE>   7
in the case of totally disabled Optionees) following cessation of such
relationship, any option held by such Optionee, to the extent that the Optionee
would have been entitled to exercise such option, may be exercised within one
year after his or her death by the personal representative of his or her estate
or by the person or persons to whom the Optionee's rights under the option shall
pass by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution.

                  5.9 STATUS OF STOCKHOLDER. Neither the Optionee nor any party
to which the Optionee's rights and privileges under the option may pass shall
be, or have any of the rights or privileges of, a stockholder of the Company
with respect to any of the shares issuable upon the exercise of any option
granted under the Plan unless and until such option has been exercised.

                  5.10 CONTINUATION OF EMPLOYMENT. Nothing in the Plan or in any
option granted pursuant to the Plan shall confer upon any Optionee any right to
continue in the employ of the Company or of an Affiliate thereof, or to
interfere in any way with the right of the Company or of any such Affiliate to
terminate his or her employment or other relationship with the Company at any
time.

                  5.11 MODIFICATION AND AMENDMENT OF OPTION. Subject to the
requirements of Section 422 of the Code with respect to incentive stock options
and to the terms and conditions and within the limitations of the Plan,
including, without limitation, Section 9.1 hereof, the Plan Administrator may
modify or amend outstanding options granted under the Plan. The modification or
amendment of an outstanding option shall not, without the consent of the
Optionee, impair or diminish any of his or her rights or any of the obligations
of the Company under such option. Except as otherwise provided herein, no
outstanding option shall be terminated without the consent of the Optionee.
Unless the Optionee agrees otherwise, any changes or adjustments made to
outstanding incentive stock options granted under the Plan shall be made in such
a manner so as not to constitute a "modification" as defined in Section 424(h)
of the Code and so as not to cause any incentive stock option issued hereunder
to fail to continue to qualify as an incentive stock option as defined in
Section 422(b) of the Code.

                  5.12 LIMITATION ON VALUE FOR INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS. As to
all incentive stock options granted under the terms of the Plan, to the extent
that the aggregate fair market value (determined at the time of the grant of the
incentive stock option) of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which
incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time by the Optionee
during any calendar year (under the Plan and all other incentive stock option
plans of the Company, an Affiliate thereof or a predecessor corporation) exceeds
$100,000, such options shall be treated as nonqualified stock options. The
foregoing sentence shall not apply, and the limitation shall be that provided by
the Code or the Internal Revenue Service, as the case may be, if such annual
limit is changed or eliminated by (a) amendment of the Code or (b) issuance by
the Internal Revenue Service of (i) a Revenue ruling, (ii) a Private Letter
ruling to any of the Company, any Optionee, or any legatee, personal
representative, or distributee of any Optionee, or (iii) regulations.



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         5.13 VALUATION OF COMMON STOCK RECEIVED UPON EXERCISE. The value of
Common Stock received by the Optionee from an exercise under the third paragraph
of Section 5.4 hereof shall equal the sales price received for such shares.

         SECTION 6. GREATER THAN TEN PERCENT STOCKHOLDERS.

         6.1  EXERCISE PRICE AND TERM OF INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS. If incentive
stock options are granted under the Plan to employees who, at the time of such
grant, own greater than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all
classes of stock of the Company or any Affiliate thereof, the term of such
incentive stock options shall not exceed five years and the exercise price shall
be not less than 110% of the fair market value of the Common Stock at the time
of grant of the incentive stock option. This provision shall control
notwithstanding any contrary terms contained in an option agreement or any other
document. The term and exercise price limitations of this provision shall be
amended to conform to any change required by a change in the Code or by ruling
or pronouncement of the Internal Revenue Service.

         6.2  ATTRIBUTION RULE. For purposes of subsection 6.1, in determining
stock ownership, an employee shall be deemed to own the stock owned, directly or
indirectly, by or for his or her brothers, sisters, spouse, ancestors, and
lineal descendants. Stock owned, directly or indirectly, by or for a
corporation, partnership estate, or trust shall be deemed to be owned
proportionately by or for its stockholders, partners, or beneficiaries. If an
employee or a person related to the employee owns an unexercised option or
warrant to purchase stock of the Company, the stock subject to that portion of
the option or warrant which is unexercised shall not be counted in determining
stock ownership. For purposes of this Section 6, stock owned by an employee
shall include all stock owned by him or her which is actually issued and
outstanding immediately before the grant of the incentive stock option to the
employee.

         SECTION 7. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION. The aggregate
number and class of shares for which options may be granted under the Plan, the
number and class of shares covered by each outstanding option, and the exercise
price per share thereof (but not the total price), and each such option, shall
all be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of
issued shares of Common Stock of the Company resulting from a split or
consolidation of shares or any like capital adjustment, or the payment of any
stock dividend.

                  7.1. EFFECT OF LIQUIDATION, REORGANIZATION, OR CHANGE IN
CONTROL.

                           7.1.1 CASH, STOCK, OR OTHER PROPERTY FOR STOCK.
Except as provided in subsection 7.1.2 hereof, upon a merger (other than a
merger of the Company in which the holders of Common Stock immediately prior to
the merger have the same proportionate ownership of common stock in the
surviving corporation immediately after the merger), consolidation, acquisition
of property or stock, separation, reorganization (other than mere
reincorporation or creation of a holding company), or liquidation of the Company
(each, an "event"), as a result of which the stockholders of the Company receive
cash, stock, or other property in exchange for, or in connection with, their
shares of Common Stock, any option granted hereunder shall terminate,




                                      -8-
<PAGE>   9

but the time during which such options may be exercised shall be accelerated as
follows: the Optionee shall have the right immediately prior to any such event
to exercise such Optionee's option in whole or in part whether or not the
vesting requirements set forth in the option agreement have been satisfied.

                           7.1.2 CONVERSION OF OPTIONS ON STOCK FOR EXCHANGE
STOCK. If the stockholders of the Company receive capital stock of another
corporation ("Exchange Stock") in exchange for their shares of Common Stock in
any transaction involving a merger (other than a merger of the Company in which
the holders of Common Stock immediately prior to the merger have the same
proportionate ownership of common stock in the surviving corporation immediately
after the merger), consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation,
or reorganization (other than mere reincorporation or creation of a holding
company), all options granted hereunder shall be converted into options to
purchase shares of Exchange Stock unless the Company and corporation issuing the
Exchange Stock, in their sole discretion, determine that any or all such options
granted hereunder shall not be converted into options to purchase shares of
Exchange Stock but instead shall terminate in accordance with the provisions of
subsection 7.1.1 hereof. The amount and price of converted options shall be
determined by adjusting the amount and price of the options granted hereunder in
the same proportion as used for determining the number of shares of Exchange
Stock the holders of the Common Stock receive in such merger, consolidation,
acquisition, separation, or reorganization. Unless the Board determines
otherwise, the converted options shall be fully vested whether or not the
vesting requirements set forth in the option agreement have been satisfied.

                  7.2 FRACTIONAL SHARES. In the event of any adjustment in the
number of shares covered by an option, any fractional shares resulting from such
adjustment shall be disregarded and each such option shall cover only the number
of full shares resulting from such adjustment.

                  7.3 DETERMINATION OF BOARD TO BE FINAL. Except as otherwise
required for the Plan to qualify for the exemption afforded by Rule 16b-3 under
the Exchange Act, all adjustments under this Section 7 shall be made by the
Board, and its determination as to what adjustments shall be made, and the
extent thereof, shall be final, binding, and conclusive. Unless an Optionee
agrees otherwise, any change or adjustment to an incentive stock option shall be
made in such a manner so as not to constitute a "modification" as defined in
Section 425(h) of the Code and so as not to cause the incentive stock option
issued hereunder to fail to continue to qualify as an incentive stock option as
defined in Section 422(b) of the Code.

         SECTION 8. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Shares shall not be issued with
respect to an option granted under the Plan unless the exercise of such option
and the issuance and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto shall comply with
all relevant provisions of law, including, without limitation, any applicable
state securities laws, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), the
Exchange Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the
requirements of any stock exchange upon which the shares may then be listed, and
shall be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with respect
to such compliance, including, without limitation, the availability of an
exemption from registration for the issuance and sale of any shares




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<PAGE>   10

hereunder. Inability of the Company to obtain from any regulatory body having
jurisdiction, the authority deemed by the Company's counsel to be necessary for
the lawful issuance and sale of any shares hereunder or the unavailability of an
exemption from registration for the issuance and sale of any shares hereunder
shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the nonissuance or sale
of such shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been
obtained.

         As a condition to the exercise of an option, if, in the opinion of
counsel for the Company, assurances are required by any relevant provision of
the aforementioned laws, the Company may require the Optionee to give written
assurances satisfactory to the Company at the time of any such exercise (a) as
to the Optionee's knowledge and experience in financial and business matters
(and/or to employ a purchaser representative reasonably satisfactory to the
Company who is knowledgeable and experienced in financial and business matters)
and that such Optionee is capable of evaluating, either alone or with the
purchaser representative, the merits and risks of exercising the option or (b)
that the shares are being purchased only for investment and without any present
intention to sell or distribute such shares. The foregoing requirements shall be
inoperative if the issuance of the shares upon the exercise of the option has
been registered under a then currently effective registration statement under
the Act.

         At the option of the Company, a stop-transfer order against any shares
may be placed on the official stock books and records of the Company, and a
legend indicating that the stock may not be pledged, sold, or otherwise
transferred unless an opinion of counsel is provided (concurred in by counsel
for the Company) stating that such transfer is not in violation of any
applicable law or regulation, may be stamped on stock certificates in order to
assure exemption from registration. The Plan Administrator may also require such
other action or agreement by the Optionees as may from time to time be necessary
to comply with the federal and state securities laws. NONE OF THE ABOVE SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO IMPLY AN OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY TO UNDERTAKE
REGISTRATION OF THE OPTIONS OR STOCK HEREUNDER.

         Should any of the Company's capital stock of the same class as the
stock subject to options granted hereunder be listed on a national securities
exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market, all stock issued hereunder if not
previously listed on such exchange or market shall, if required by the rules of
such exchange or market, be authorized by that exchange or market for listing
thereon prior to the issuance thereof.

         SECTION 9. USE OF PROCEEDS. The proceeds received by the Company from
the sale of shares pursuant to the exercise of options granted hereunder shall
constitute general funds of the Company.

         SECTION 10. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION.

                  10.1 BOARD ACTION. The Board may at any time suspend, amend,
or terminate the Plan, provided, that no amendment shall be made without
stockholder approval within 12 months before or after adoption of the Plan if
such approval is necessary to comply with any



                                      -10-
<PAGE>   11

applicable tax or regulatory requirement, including any such approval as may be
necessary to satisfy the requirements for exemptive relief under Rule 16b-3 of
the Exchange Act or any successor provision. Rights and obligations under any
option granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be altered or impaired by
any amendment of the Plan unless the Company requests the consent of the person
to whom the option was granted and such person consents in writing thereto.

                  10.2 AUTOMATIC TERMINATION. Unless sooner terminated by the
Board, the Plan shall terminate ten years from the earlier of (a) the date on
which the Plan is adopted by the Board or (b) the date on which the Plan is
approved by the stockholders of the Company. No option may be granted after such
termination or during any suspension of the Plan. The amendment or termination
of the Plan shall not, without the consent of the option holder, alter or impair
any rights or obligations under any option theretofore granted under the Plan.

         SECTION 11. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PLAN. The Plan shall become effective
upon adoption by the Board so long as it is approved by the holders of a
majority of the Company's outstanding shares of voting capital stock at any time
within 12 months before or after the adoption of the Plan by the Board.


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