GE files second suit against SonoSite over handheld ultrasound patents
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| SonoSite handheld ultrasound device patent is back in the courts. Source: SonoSite |
GE is currently seeking to invalidate SonoSite’s U.S. Patent No. 5,722,412, “Handheld Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument,” according to a statement released to Health Imaging News.
The Bothell, Wash.-based SonoSite Tuesday said it made a preliminary assessment of the lawsuit and called it “baseless and without merit.”
"We strongly believe that there is no legal basis for this lawsuit and we will proceed firmly ahead to defend our legal rights," said Kevin Goodwin, president and CEO of SonoSite.
This is the second lawsuit that GE has filed against SonoSite—in May 2007, GE sued SonoSite in the same Wisconsin federal court alleging that the company infringed five GE patents.
SonoSite denies all of GE’s claims and alleged that the asserted patents are either invalid, not infringed, or both.
SonoSite has also filed counterclaims and amendments asserting that GE and its affiliated companies infringe four SonoSite patents covering various core ultrasound–related technologies in late 2007.
GE Healthcare confirmed that on Sept. 7, 2007, the company “amended its complaint to add a sixth patent infringed by SonoSite. The amended complaint filed with the court describes GE’s position on the matter. GE has reviewed SonoSite's amended counterclaims filed on Sept. 6, 2007, and believes that each of SonoSite's counterclaims is without merit.”