Jury favors SenoRx in Hologic patent infringement suit

A jury last week ruled in favor of SenoRx, a manufacturer of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment devices, in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Hologic.

Bedford, Mass.-based Hologic, a diagnostic and medical imaging developer for women, alleged that SenoRx infringed its patent covering Hologic’s MammoSite brachytherapy balloon catheter device, which delivers radiation to the areas where cancerous breast tissue are removed during a lumpectomy.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern District of California, San Jose Division last year, sought unspecified monetary damages and an injunction against SenoRx for infringement of certain named Hologic patents.

Viejo, Calif.-based SenoRx also claimed that all patents pertaining to the case were invalid, and that its device in question, its SenoRad device (later named the Contura) did not infringe on patents covering MammoSite, according to court documents.

The claim was filed in response to the Contura application receiving FDA approval in May 2007.

Last week's verdict, delivered after two weeks of court hearings, declared that SenoRx was not liable for infringement. 

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