Medtronic Sues Kyphon for Patent Infringement.SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :MDT MDT abbr. Mountain Daylight Time MDT (in the US and Canada) Mountain Daylight Time MDT n abbr (US) (= mountain daylight time) → ) announced today that its vascular and spinal businesses have filed suit against Kyphon, Inc. for patent infringement patent infringement n. the manufacture and/or use of an invention or improvement for which someone else owns a patent issued by the government, without obtaining permission of the owner of the patent by contract, license or waiver. . The suit, which seeks injunctive relief and monetary damages, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa . The suit claims Kyphon is and has been directly and indirectly infringing on a minimum of four patents related to balloon dilatation catheters and spinal treatment. The Medtronic patents involved include U.S. Patent No. 4,820,349, U.S. Patent No. 5,759,191, U.S. Patent No. 6,179,856 and U.S. Patent No. 6,096,038. Medtronic acquired the '038 patent from Gary K. Michelson Gary K. Michelson, founder of Karlin Technology, is a surgeon turned inventor. On April 22, 2005, Medtronic Inc. paid US$ 1.35 billion to settle a patent lawsuit and also to acquire his spine surgery-related patents. External links
The suit also asks for a declaratory judgment that five Kyphon patents are inapplicable to Medtronic's innovative new osteotome osteotome /os·teo·tome/ (os´te-o-tom?) a chisel-like knife for cutting bone. os·te·o·tome n. A chisel-like instrument for cutting bone. device that treats spinal disorders without the use of a balloon. "We have completed a thoughtful and comprehensive review of the patents and as a result feel we have to take this action to stop Kyphon from benefiting from our intellectual property," said Pete Wehrly, senior vice-president and president, Medtronic's Spine and Navigation business. "We are also seeking the declaratory judgment to set aside any concerns regarding any legal matters that could potentially interrupt our future business." About Medtronic Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology - alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 27, 2006. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. |
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