Acuson and ATL settle patent dispute

Acuson and Advanced Technology Laboratories last week settleda patent dispute between the ultrasound competitors relating tomultiplane transesophageal (TEE) technology and an ultrasoundfocusing technique. The settlement ends lawsuits that had beenfiled last year in federal courts in Washington and California.

ATL had claimed that Acuson was infringing on its TEE patents,while Acuson charged ATL will violating its patent for an ultrasoniclens with reduced delay range. As part of the settlement, Acusonagreed to pay ATL an undisclosed sum in royalty payments on TEEprobes it sells. The companies entered a cross-licensing agreementfor several patents, including the Acuson focusing patent.