B. Braun Prevails in Patent Infringement Case

BETHLEHEM, Pa., Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Germany-based medical device manufacturer B. Braun Melsungen AG and its U.S. subsidiary B. Braun Medical Inc. (B. Braun) announced today that the Company prevailed in a patent infringement suit against Japan's Terumo Corporation and its U.S. subsidiary Terumo Medical Corporation. The verdict was awarded by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, confirming the validity of an infringed claim of B. Braun's 2007 patent (U.S. Patent 7,264,613) for its Introcan Safety® IV Catheter.

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B. Braun sued Terumo in May 2009 for infringement of its Introcan Safety patent by selling Terumo's Surshield® Safety IV Catheter. B. Braun will enforce its patent and will seek damages and other relief for Terumo's infringement.

About B. Braun's Introcan Safety® IV Catheter

B. Braun's Introcan Safety® IV Catheter, a passive, fully automatic safety device, designed to help protect against accidental needlestick injuries (NSIs). NSIs and other sharps injuries expose hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers each year to serious blood borne pathogens like hepatitis C and HIV. With the Introcan Safety® IV Catheter, the safety device is activated automatically and cannot be bypassed.

A recent landmark study conducted by GERES (Groupe d'Etude sur le Risque d'Exposition des Soignants) of 22 million safety devices used in 61 French hospitals over a two-year period has confirmed the theory that passive, fully automatic safety devices like B. Braun's Introcan Safety® IV Catheter offer significantly better protection against NSIs than early generation active safety technologies such as semi-automatic (push-button) devices or those with manually sliding shields or hinged caps.

For more information about B. Braun's Introcan Safety® IV Catheter visit http://introcansafety.bbraunusa.com.  

About B. Braun

B. Braun is a leading manufacturer of infusion therapy and pain management products with an environmentally-friendly focus. Guided by the company's "Sharing Expertise®" philosophy, B. Braun addresses the critical issues of infection prevention, medication safety and environmental responsibility by promoting best practices that help clinicians reduce medication errors, prevent healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) and achieve sustainability objectives.

Consistently recognized by Frost & Sullivan and KLAS for its medical technology and support services, B. Braun employees share their knowledge with colleagues and customers to improve working processes in hospitals and medical practices and to enhance the safety of patients and healthcare professionals. For more information, call 800-227-2862, email us at [email protected] or visit B. Braun at www.bbraunusa.com.

SOURCE B. Braun