Smith & Nephew Inc. Announces United States Patent Office Rejects KCI's Patents
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Nephew's Advanced Wound Management division announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Patent Office) has rejected as unpatentable three of KCI's negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) patents during re-examination of the patents at Smith & Nephew's request. The Patent Office found that prior art showed that almost all of the re-examined claims are not patentable, including the claims that require foam.
The Patent Office has granted KCI two months to respond to its decision. Smith & Nephew will have the opportunity to reply to KCI's response on one of the patents before the Patent Office issues its final decision.
"A positive final outcome in these re-examinations would clear the legal path for Smith & Nephew to continue providing wound care professionals with options for NPWT," said Robin Carlstein, Senior Vice President of Advanced Wound Devices at Smith & Nephew. "Clearly, we are pleased with the Patent Office's findings in this matter thus far, and look forward to its resolution."
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About Smith & Nephew
Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business, specializing in Orthopedics, including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies, Endoscopy and Advanced Wound Management. Smith & Nephew is a global leader in arthroscopy and advanced wound management and is one of the leading global orthopedics companies.
Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives. The Company prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons and professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with high standards of performance, innovation and trust. The Company operates in 32 countries around the world. Annual sales in 2008 were nearly $3.8 billion.
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