Surgical Robot in Patent Dispute

The manufacturer of the DaVinci Surgical robots, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), is being sued by California Institute of Technology for infringing on four patents.

The suit was filed for Cal Tech by Wilson, Sheehy, Knowles, Robertson & Cornelius law firm of Tyler, Texas in the U.S. District Court in Tyler, Texas. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has been described as a "Haven for patent Pirates" by Technology Review Magazine.

In a press release Monday Intuitive reported,
that Lonnie Smith, President and CEO for Intuitive, stated "We are surprised to see these claims after selling our products worldwide for over eight years, particularly given the strength of our intellectual property portfolio. I am personally amazed that Caltech would allow a Texas based contingency-fee law firm to tarnish its reputation by such an outrageous approach. We are prepared to do what is necessary to defend our company and our intellectual property rights."


So far the legal battle has not had any impact on the use of the DaVinci surgical robots.

Bloomberg.com: Health Care

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