Arthrocare Coblation patent decision
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Smith & Nephew's request to delay a sales injunction of its bipolar arthroscopy wands - Saphyre, Control RF and ElectroBlade - is denied by the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, Arthrocare announces in a June 10 call. The U.S. District Court in Delaware found that S&N infringed 16 patents relating to Arthrocare's Coblation arthroscopy technology, requiring S&N to remove its wands from the market by July 27. S&N still plans to appeal the initial April injunction (1"The Gray Sheet" May 3, 2004, p. 16). Arthrocare CEO Michael Baker noted the appeal could take "a year or more." In 2003, bipolar arthroscopy devices generated $10 mil. in sales for Smith & Nephew...