MINNEAPOLIS, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Coloplast North America today announced that a federal court jury in Tacoma, Wash., ruled that Generic Medical Devices, Inc. (GMD) was infringing on a Coloplast Urology Care patent for the transobturator (TOT) method for treating stress urinary incontinence in women. Using this approach, surgeons implant Coloplast’s Aris® sling to help women regain control of their bladder.
The jury found that GMD infringed six separate claims of U.S. Patent Number 7,621,864, by marketing and selling its surgical tools and sling products for the purpose of using the TOT surgical method patented by Coloplast. The court soon will schedule a briefing on Coloplast’s motion for a permanent injunction.
“By pursuing and winning this patent case, Coloplast is able to protect the research and development investments we make,” said Steffen Hovard, senior vice president of Coloplast Urology Care. “Our mission is to improve patient quality of life. Protecting our patents allows us to realize that mission and push the industry forward through innovation. This is how we bring the best technologies, best devices and best methods to our surgeon partners and patients.”
Coloplast was represented in the patent case by Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.
About Aris®
Aris® is a sling used to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. The Aris sling is implanted using the newest effective treatment approach, transobturator, which places the sling in a hammock position cradling the urethra. When in place, the sling supports and keeps the urethra in the correct position without the use of screws, anchors or sutures.
About Coloplast
Danish medical device company Coloplast develops products and services that make life easier for people with very personal and private medical conditions. Working closely with the people who use our products, we create solutions that are sensitive to their special needs. We call this intimate healthcare.
Coloplast’s business includes ostomy care, urology, continence care, and wound and skin care. Coloplast operates globally and employs more than 7,500 people worldwide. In 2009, Coloplast opened the new North American headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The campus is LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and is home to one of the company’s three global research-and-development Innovation Centers. Others are located in Denmark and France.
To learn more about Coloplast, visit www.us.coloplast.com and www.straighttalk.net.
SOURCE Coloplast
