MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc., a developer of next generation ultrasound technology, today announced that it has filed a claim for patent infringement against SonoSite of Bothell, Wash. The claim, which was filed on March 14, 2007 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Santa Ana, Calif., alleges that SonoSite infringes ZONARE’s U.S. Patent No. 6,980,419, entitled “Portable Ultrasound Unit and Docking Station.”
ZONARE’s claim was included as part of its answer and counterclaims to the recent patent lawsuit brought against it by SonoSite. ZONARE’s counterclaims allege that its competitor infringes a key ZONARE Inc. patent, which was filed in 2003, and is directed at a portable ultrasound system that includes a docking cart. ZONARE seeks an injunction against future sales of infringing products, as well as damages for past sales.
“Zone Sonography technology is considered to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in ultrasound technology in decades and, consequently, the ultrasound community’s acceptance has been very robust,” said Donald Southard, president and CEO of ZONARE. “For nearly 10 years, we have invested heavily in this technology and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property and fully enforce our patent rights against any form of infringement.”
According to The Medical Diagnostic Ultrasound Market in the USA, published in April of 2006 and which covers annual industry trends, ZONARE’s z.one system is the beginning of a new wave of convertible systems. The report is published annually by the ultrasound industry’s leading analyst, Harvey Klein of Klein Biomedical Consultants (KBC).
Zone Sonography(TM) technology enabled ZONARE Medical Systems to bring the first Convertible Ultrasound(TM) platform to the industry with superb image quality at a substantial price to value ratio. Clinicians are able to instantly convert the z.one platform from a full-featured, cart-based ultrasound system into a premium compact ultrasound system. With all the performance of substantially larger and more expensive systems, the z.one platform provides greater portability and clinical flexibility than conventional systems.
The z.one software-based architecture ensures that its performance will increase as improvements in processing power become available. This allows for fast, convenient upgrades, keeping clinicians at the forefront of diagnostic capabilities as well as protecting their investment. Software upgrades can be downloaded via the internet.
About ZONARE Medical Systems
ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures premium compact performance ultrasound solutions, which combine revolutionary technology with an innovative physical design. Zone Sonography technology, ZONARE’s unique patented approach to ultrasound imaging, is focused on bringing the highest performance to all clinical settings, leading to advanced diagnostic capabilities, more cost effective operation and increased value to providers. For more information, please visit our web site at www.zonare.com.
ZONARE Medical Systems
CONTACT: Laurie Hallwyler of ZONARE Medical Systems, +1-650-248-9081, orlhallwyler@ZONARE.com
Web site: http://www.zonare.com/
