San Diego's Ivera Medical has filed a patent infringement suit against Salt Lake City-based Catheter Connections. The suit involves a device designed to clean intravenous valves used in medical procedures.
Ivera manufactures, markets and sells the Curos port protector, which disinfects the entry port on certain types of valves used with intravenous lines. It alleges in its suit that Catheter Connections' DualCap Solo infringes one or more claims of its patents protecting Curos.
Not so, says Catheter Connection CEO Vicki Farrar in dismissing Ivera's allegations. "Our devices do not infringe any claim of any patent of Ivera," Farrar told Law360. "We will deny everything. It is completely baseless. We have patents issuing on our dual cap technology."
What's at stake? Well, if the court finds in Ivera's favor, Catheter Connections could be ordered to withdraw all infringing products from the market. Ivera, which is claiming willful infringement, could also get damages.
Catheter Connections isn't the only competitor Ivera has targeted, as Law360 notes. Ivera has been vigorously defending its patent, filing suit against big rivals Hospira ($HSP) and Excelsior Medical. Those suits are ongoing.
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