|
MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 2002--C. R. Bard,
Inc. (NYSE:BCR - News) announced that the U.S. Patent Office today issued a
patent to Dr. David Goldfarb for ePTFE (expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene) vascular applications.
Dr. Goldfarb has licensed his rights exclusively to Bard's wholly
owned subsidiary, IMPRA, Inc.
ePTFE is used in vascular prosthetic applications, including
grafts, which are devices that are commonly used to surgically bypass
diseased arteries or to provide blood access for hemodialysis. In
addition, ePTFE can be used to cover stents for peripheral and
coronary applications and in endovascular devices to treat abdominal
aortic aneurysms. It is readily accepted by body tissue, pliable and
easily sutured. It has an excellent history as an implant material in
many applications.
William H. Longfield, Bard's chairman and chief executive officer,
stated, "The issuance of this patent provides Bard with broad and
pre-eminent intellectual property rights to ePTFE technology. We
believe that the establishment of these rights represents the
successful completion of a critical step in our strategy of leadership
in the peripheral vascular market."
The way for the patent issuance was cleared last year when, after
a series of judicial and administrative rulings upholding Dr.
Goldfarb's position, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
affirmed the decision of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
of the United States Patent and Trademark Office that awarded priority
of inventorship to Dr. Goldfarb.
C. R. Bard, Inc., (www.crbard.com) headquartered in Murray Hill,
New Jersey, is a leading multinational developer, manufacturer and
marketer of health care products in the fields of vascular, urology,
oncology and surgical specialty products.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, the
accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties.
Please refer to our June 30, 2002, Form 10-Q for a statement with
regard to forward-looking statements, including disclosure of the
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or implied.
Contact:
C. R. Bard, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Todd C. Schermerhorn, 908/277-8139
|
