Computer Motion Files Suit Against Intuitive Surgical.

Business Editors

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2000

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. announced today that Computer Motion, Inc. of Goleta, California has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging infringement by Intuitive Surgical of seven U.S. patents relating to robotic surgery.

Intuitive has assembled and continues to build an extensive patent portfolio in robotic surgery through a combination of internal development and exclusive licensing agreements with IBM and SRI International, two of the early innovators in the field. Three weeks ago, Intuitive also exclusively licensed an extensive minimally invasive heart surgery patent portfolio in the field of robotic surgery.

Beginning in May 1999, based on the early original patent filing dates of its licensed robotic technology, Intuitive requested that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) decide who first invented the subject matter of five of Computer Motion's patents through multiple "requests for interference." Last August, the PTO sent notices to Computer Motion that its patents were being challenged. Computer Motion included all five of these patents in the suit it filed last week.

Intuitive believes it has meritorious defenses to Computer Motion's action, and will vigorously defend itself against this challenge.

Intuitive Surgical designs and manufactures the da Vinci(TM) Surgical System, a computer-enhanced surgical platform that enables surgeons to realize the benefits of open surgery -- including intuitive instrument control, natural range of motion, fine tissue manipulation capability and 3-D visualization -- while operating through the small puncture incisions of minimally invasive surgery.

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Note to Editors: da Vinci(TM)is a trademark of Intuitive Surgical, Inc.