Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN) sued Hologic (NSDQ:HOLX) yesterday, the same day the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office granted its patent application for a "Surgical Endoscopic Cutting Device And Method For Its Use."
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, accuses Hologic of violating the patent with its MyoSure line of fibroid surgery devices. The patent covers technology used in Smith & Nephew’s Truclear myomectomy system.
"There is no substantially non-infringing use of the MyoSure system,” according to the lawsuit. "Hologic and Smith & Nephew are direct competitors with respect to the
manufacture, use, sale and/or offer to sell products with the intended use of removing polyps and
fibroids from the uterus."
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The British health care conglomerate wants a jury trial, judgments of infringement and willful infringement, injunctions barring further infringement, damages, interest and legal costs.
German customs seizes infringing surgical staples from China
Covidien (NYSE:COV) said German customs authorities seized "quantities" of surgical stapling products from a pair of Chinese companies that "copy Covidien’s designs and infringe one of its patents."
The Mansfield, Mass.-based medical products giant said it co-operated with the German investigators in the seizure.
"We are pleased that German authorities have found that the stapling products from these two companies should be removed from the German marketplace because of the infringement of our patent," said Scott Herring, vice president, endomechanical and energy division. "This is a serious issue, for practitioners and patients, as well as for Covidien, and we will continue to vigorously protect our innovations and intellectual property." Read more
University of Wisconsin sues Siemens over 3D MRA technology
The body that oversees intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison sued Siemens (NYSE:SI) for infringement of a
patent related to 3D magnetic resonance angiography.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation alleges that Siemens and its Syngo Twist system infringe U.S. patent no. 5,713,358, for a "Method for producing a time-resolved series of 3D magnetic resonance angiograms during the first passage of contrast agent." The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Western Wisconsin.
"Siemens and WARF have met and discussed licensing the ‘358 patent on multiple occasions, including meetings at WARF’s offices in Madison," according to court documents. "On each occasion that the parties discussed licensing, Siemens did not take a license to the ‘358 patent."
WARF wants a jury trial, judgments of infringement and willful infringement, injunctions barring further infringement, damages, interest and legal costs.
