Guide Flow LLC filed a lawsuit against six other firms, accusing them of infringing its patent for a "Catheter Guidewire and Flushing Apparatus and Method of Insertion."
The Newport Beach, Calif.-based firm accused C.R. Bard Inc. (NYSE:BCR), AngioDynamics Inc. (NSDQ:ANGO), Becton, Dickinson & Co. (NYSE:BDX), Medical Components Inc., Navilyst Medical Inc. and Smiths Medical ASD Inc. of violating the patent in a suit filed in the U.S. District Court for Utah.
The suit names peripherally inserted central catheters as infringing the patent: AngioDynamics’ Morpheus CT and Morpheus Smart catheters; Bard’s Poly Per Q, Power PICC Solo and Polyurethane PICC with MicroEZ universal microintroducer; BD’s First PICC, First MidCath PICC and L-Cath; MedComp’s 1.9F Peripherally Inserted Central VEin Access catheter; Navilyst’s Xcela Power Injectable PICC; and Smiths Medical’s CliniCath product.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, judgments of infringement, triple damages, pre- and post-judgment interest and legal costs.