Zecotek Photonics (ZMS-V) receives Markman order for Saint-Gobain lawsuit
May 14, '14 - News Release
The United States District Court of Ohio issued its patent claim construction ruling, or Markman order, yesterday regarding Zecotek Photonics Inc.'s continuing patent infringement action against defendants Saint-Gobain Corp. and Philips. The joint claims construction hearing, also known as the Markman hearing, was held before the court on July 1 and 2, 2013.
In a Markman order, the presiding district court sets out the meaning of certain disputed patent claim language present in the patent. The interpretation of the language in the patent is then applied during the action in the determination of infringement and validity of the patent claim. The Markman order can play a significant role in the progress and outcome of patent infringement litigation.
In the order issued yesterday, the court adopted interpretations that Zecotek believes are favourable on the key terms in the litigation dispute.
The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 23, 2012, alleges that Saint-Gobain's LYSO crystals infringe Zecotek's patent and that Philips infringes by using those crystals in the PET (positron emission tomography) scanners it sells.
"We are very pleased with the court's interpretations of key terms presented at the Markman hearing," said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Zecotek Photonics. "We remain confident in our position and look forward to a just resolution of this action."
U.S. patent No. 7,132,060, granted to Zecotek on Nov. 6, 2006, is part of Zecotek's portfolio of over 50 patented and patent-pending novel photonic technologies. The patent covers the substances and chemical formulations used to grow lutetium fine silicate (LFS) scintillation crystals, which are characterized by their combined high light yield and ultrafast decay times and are typically used in medical scanning devices. |
