Covidien Wins $176.5 Million in Patent Lawsuit Against Ethicon

Covidien announced that it won a patent lawsuit against Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. A federal court has awarded the company $176.5 million in damages.According to Covidien's press release, a federal court ruled that Ethicon infringed on three patents held by Covidien. These patents relate to coagulation and ultrasonic cutting surgical devices. The final verdict of $176.5 million includes an 8 percent royalty rate on sales of the infringing product through March of 2012. The figure also includes prejudgement interest."As a global healthcare market leader, Covidien invests significant resources into creating and developing medical innovations," said Chris Barry, president of the Advanced Surgical Technologies division at Covidien in prepared remarks. "We are pleased that the federal court recognized our innovation in ultrasonic surgical devices, finding our patents both valid and infringed by Ethicon Endo-Surgery."More Covidien News:Covidien: Biological Mesh Market Has 'Collapsed'Covidien Debuts Three New Hernia Care ProductsEndo Health Solutions May Sell Off Its Assets