Ivera Medical Corporation, a company that manufactures, markets, and sells the Curos® Disinfecting Port Protector, a device that disinfects and protects the entry port on needleless valves used with intravenous lines, categorically denies all claims made by Catheter Connections in their recent legal filings against Ivera. Each Catheter Connections claim against Ivera is without merit.
In August 2010, Ivera was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,780,794, and on July 26, 2011 it was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,985,302. Despite these patents, companies have chosen to continue the manufacture and sale of their infringing disinfection caps. In response, Ivera has filed suits in federal district court in San Diego alleging patent infringement by market players including Excelsior Medical, Hospira Worldwide, and Catheter Connections.
In an effort to invalidate the Ivera patents, a competitor requested that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) re-exam the patents '794 and '302. In May, 2012, the USPTO completed the detailed reexamination and reaffirmed the validity of Ivera's patents, which cover key aspects of products used to disinfect intravenous access ports. Ivera respects the rights granted by the USPTO and will vigorously defend those rights.
"Ivera was the first to pioneer the disinfection cap market and we are a leading provider of this technology," according to Bob Rogers, CEO of Ivera Medical. "Once again, we will vigorously defend our intellectual property and our rights to bring new and better disinfection solutions to market."
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