September 21, 2010 - Patent infringement claims by St. Jude Medical Systems against the Volcano Corporation are without merit, the company said Tuesday.
In a filing made in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Volcano denies allegations that its PrimeWire products infringe any valid claim of St. Jude's asserted patents. Furthermore, as described in detail in its answer, the company believes that two of the asserted St. Jude patents are unenforceable because they were obtained through acts of fraud on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Specifically, Volcano believes that the individuals involved in securing these two patents knowingly withheld from the USPTO a patent describing the pioneering work of scientists at Volcano's predecessor company, Cardiometrics.
In addition, Volcano has alleged that St. Jude's PressureWire products and its RadiAnalyzer Xpress infringe three Volcano patents. In its counterclaim, Volcano is seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages. The company intends to demonstrate that St. Jude has adopted Volcano's technology to enable it to compete in the rapidly expanding sensor-equipped guidewire field.
"Volcano believes that it, not St. Jude or Radi Medical, has led the way in fractional flow reserve (FFR) technology by developing the first guide wires to incorporate a solid state pressure sensor, the WaveWire. Volcano's predecessor company was also the first to introduce a guide wire containing a solid-state sensor for measuring intravascular flow rates, the FlowWire. Volcano believes that the Cardiometrics patents and Volcano's related innovative products render St. Jude's asserted claims invalid," said Scott Huennekens, CEO of Volcano.
"As the innovator of these guide wire technologies, Volcano intends to set the historical record straight and will vigorously defend against St. Jude's claims. Volcano respects the intellectual property rights of its competitors and expects them do to the same," he added.
For more information please visit: www.volcanocorp.com
October 30, 2024 
