GE Healthcare UK has filed suit against Beckman Coulter Genomics, alleging that the firm is infringing two patents that cover technologies for isolating and purifying nucleic acids.
The complaint, filed Dec. 18 in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, claims that Beckman Coulter Genomics is infringing US Patent No. 5,523,231, issued in 1996 and titled "Method to isolate macromolecules using magnetically attractable beads which do not specifically bind the macromolecules;" and US Patent No. 5,681,946, issued in 1997 and titled "Precipitating polymers."
Both patents describe methods for using "suspended magnetically attractable beads" for isolating nucleic acids. They were originally assigned to Amersham, which GE acquired in 2004.
GE Healthcare charges in its complaint that kits and instruments sold by Beckman Coulter Genomics based on the Agencourt Solid Phase Reversible Immobilization, or SPRI, technology "contain instructions to use the products in a manner that infringes one or more claims of the '231 and/or '946 patents.
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"GE nee Amersham nee ..." The
"GE nee Amersham nee ..." The Radiochemical Centre.
Although GE has possibly lost sight of that one, judging by the dreadful shortfall in production of Tc-99.
That's funny. It's not like
That's funny. It's not like this is a cornerstone technology or anything. Gen-Probe was using mag beads to non-specifically purify nucleic acids back to the mid 80's and they could show prior invention of all of Agencourt's claims if they wished I imagine. Now on that point, I believe Agencourt does have claims that were issued by a dligent patent examiner well aware of what GE nee Amersham nee ... acquired along the way. Hard to imagine there's any novelty to be eked out and asserted after all this time.
Nope, soften them up, then
Nope, soften them up, then buy them.
I'd pay the damages if it
I'd pay the damages if it saved my company from being taken over by GE.
or it forces them to the
or it forces them to the table to talk
I guess this pretty much
I guess this pretty much halts any Beckman Coulter acquisition by GE rumours.
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