Tuesday, May 27, 2008

SonoSite Responds to Second GE Lawsuit in Wisconsin

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound at the point-of-care, said today that the General Electric Company (GE) filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on May 22 seeking to invalidate SonoSite’s US Patent No. 5,722,412, “Hand Held Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument” (“the 412 patent”). SonoSite has performed a preliminary assessment of the case and believes GE’s claim is baseless and without merit.

“GE’s latest filing is yet another attempt to slow our strong momentum,” said Kevin M. Goodwin, SonoSite President and CEO. “Our momentum is growing because our small, innovative hand-carried systems are having a significant, global impact on patient safety and the cost of healthcare. Because GE is not winning with product innovation or customers, they challenge us in the courts yet again by filing another meritless lawsuit. We strongly believe that there is no legal basis for this lawsuit and we will proceed firmly ahead to defend our legal rights. We will continue to invest in customer-centered innovation, education and service while remaining focused on the needs of clinicians at the point-of-care.”

source: Business Wire

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