Nova Biomedical Corp. of Waltham, Mass., announced recently that it had favorably settled its patent infringement lawsuit against i-Stat Corp.
The lawsuit, which was pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, involved Nova Biomedical’s U.S. Patent No. 4,686,479 titled “Apparatus and Control Kit for Analyzing Blood Sample Values Including Hematocrit.” The Nova patent relates to a method and apparatus for the accurate determination of hematocrit, a measure of red blood cell volume that is widely used in hospital labs and critical care settings.
As part of the settlement, i-Stat will pay Nova $10 million. In addition, i-Stat will receive worldwide, non-exclusive license to the patent and its foreign counterparts, and will pay Nova a 4 percent royalty on sales of licensed products from Jan. 1, 2001, through the expiration of the patent. Nova will dismiss claims of infringement, and i-Stat will dismiss its claims of non-infringement and patent invalidity.
“This i-Stat settlement underscores the strength of the Nova ‘479 Hematocrit measuring patent. This represents the fourth company that has agreed to licensing terms on this patent,” said John J. Wallace, Nova Biomedical Chief Operating Officer.
Radiometer signs with Marketplace@Novation
Radiometer America Inc., Westlake, Ohio, has signed a two-year agreement to participate in Marketplace@Novation, Novation’s e-commerce marketplace, to transact orders via the Web with more than 2,300 healthcare institutions across the United States.
Marketplace@Novation is the e-commerce site offered by Novation, the supply company of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). Built and operated by Neoforma, the site facilitates the efficient exchange of information with VHA and UHC members and their suppliers for the electronic procurement of goods and services.
Radiometer, which offers a broad line of blood gas-based, whole-blood and stat analyzers, joins 85 manufacturers and distributors and 421 healthcare organizations that already have contracted with Marketplace@Novation.
Roche managers delivering half-yearly report to U.S. press say diagnostics business is up 15%
For the first time in the company’s history, Roche’s management teams from Switzerland and the United States held a press conference together in the United States (New York City) to present the company’s half-yearly annual report to the U.S press.
The Basel, Switzerland-based maker of diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and vitamins is having a good year in all business segments, but especially in diagnostics. Revenues are up 15 percent for the first six months of 2001, a 13 percent increase over last year’s growth, in a market that is experiencing about a 5 percent annual growth rate. In fact, the diagnostics industry segment growth is currently in double-digit growth while the company’s pharmaceutical and vitamin segments are showing single-digit growth.
“Roche is the global and U.S. leader in the diagnostics industry,” said Martin Madaus, president and chief executive officer of Roche Diagnostics Corp. of North America in Indianapolis.
Roche’s diagnostic segment growth has been cemented by its leadership positions in glucose and molecular-based testing, according to Madaus. He noted that Roche’s Accu-Check glucose meter currently holds the No. 1 market share position among glucose meters and that the Roche Cobas Amplicor molecular diagnostic system and its PCR testing accounts for about 60 percent of the virology testing market.
Rotor retirement program offers 30% discount
Sorvall Superspeed centrifuge users can take advantage of a 30 percent discount and save up to $2,100 on the purchase of a new Sorvall ColorTone Superspeed rotor when they retire any Sorvall Superspeed rotor in their inventory and replace it with any ColorTone fixed-edge rotor of their choice.
The 30 percent discount applies to every replacement ColorTone rotor purchased, with no limit on the number of rotors that can be retired.
ColorTone Superspeed rotors for Sorvall RC-5 Series, RC-26 Series Plus and SuperT 21 centrifuges are available in anodized blue, red, green, purple, silver and gold. Brilliant coloration enables at-a-glance identification and reduces the chance of rotor mix-up.
ColorTone users can enhance safety by color-designating rotors for biohazardous or radioactive applications. Color-designation by protocol or contamination-susceptible sample type can help to prevent cross-contamination. Users can also safeguard their rotor inventories and indicate ownership by assigning different color rotors to different labs, research groups, centrifuges or centrifuge users.
This limited time offer is open to U.S. customers only and expires on Dec. 15, 2001. For information, call Kendro at 800-522-7746. Kendro designs, manufactures and markets Sorvall, Heraeus and Carr brand equipment for sample preparation and processing.
