NORTH HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that, through its family of companies, a lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut against Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, relating to Ethicon’s Harmonic® line of ultrasonic surgical products.
“We will vigorously protect our innovations with our intellectual property,” said Ralph Corradi, Vice President, Endomechanical Franchise, Covidien.
The lawsuit contends that U.S. Patents 6,063,050; 6,468,286; and 6,682,544 are infringed by many of Ethicon’s Harmonic® devices. Many of these same devices were found to infringe two of the same patents in a prior suit in the same court. A December 2009 appeals court decision in the prior case permitted the filing of this new lawsuit following dismissal of the prior suit on other grounds. The new suit asks the federal court to enjoin Ethicon from continuing to make and sell the Harmonic® devices named in the lawsuit, and to grant damages for these infringements.
ABOUT COVIDIEN
Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies. With 2009 revenue in excess of $10 billion, Covidien has 42,000 employees worldwide in more than 60 countries, and its products are sold in over 140 countries. Please visit www.covidien.com to learn more about our business.
Contact:
Covidien David T. Young, 203-492-6333 Public Relations Manager Surgical Devices david.young@covidien.com or Bruce Farmer, 508-452-4372 Vice President Public Relations bruce.farmer@covidien.com or Coleman Lannum, CFA, 508-452-4343 Vice President Investor Relations cole.lannum@covidien.com or Brian Nameth, 508-452-4363 Director Investor Relations brian.nameth@covidien.com
