A Medical Device Daily
Precision Medical Devices (PMD; Fort Lauderdale, Florida) has obtained its first Japanese patent. The PMD team said it is especially happy it has obtained this patent as it is generally accepted (in the intellectual property community) that obtaining patents in the Japanese market is among the most difficult in all of the western-style, market-based economy countries.
The company has applied for patent coverage of its bionic, telemetrically-controlled urethral valve device (designed to treat severe urinary incontinence, among other things) in most of the major industrialized countries in the world piggybacking on the 5 patents it has already obtained in the U.S.
The company said it continues to apply for patent coverage in all of its other target markets for all of the U.S.-issued patents. PMD also has applied for additional U.S. patents, which are patent-pending, and continues to work on other unique and proprietary product ideas, which may also be patentable.
Taiwanese hospital buys CytoCore Robot
Health Robotics (Bolzano, Italy) reported that National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH; Taipei, Taiwan) has purchased and agreed to immediately install its flagship CytoCare Robot during 2009. Separately, it also reported that it has signed an exclusive 3-year distribution, licensing, and support contract with Pinnaclemed [a Double Success Co. Ltd. subsidiary]. Both NTUH and Pinnaclemed desire to safely, accurately, and cost-effectively automate the preparation of hazardous oncology I.V. admixtures with Health Robotics' CytoCare Robot in Taiwan.
"We are very excited to install CytoCare at one of the most prestigious Asian institutions such as NTUH, well known for its commitment for the First in Asia Program, a well respected quality standard. After Malaysia, Australia, and Japan, NTUH will represent CytoCare's fourth country installation in Asia/Pacific, a number that we expect to double over the next six months with successful ongoing activities in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, India, and New Zealand," said Werner Rainer, Health Robotics' CEO.
Health Robotics and National Taiwan University Hospital started Cytocare discussions more than 2 years ago and embarked on a journey to satisfy NTUH's country-specific needs in reference to the automation of hazardous IV admixtures. After extensive due diligence and 2009 budget approval, NTUH's Oncology Pharmacy Director Joyce Chen and Health Robotics' general counsel Gaspar DeViedma formalized an agreement last week, including the quick installation of CytoCare at NTUH in October-November 2009. Subsequently, Health Robotics selected Double Success as its exclusive CytoCare partner in Taiwan and executed an agreement for the next 3 years, including both companies' cooperation in the CytoCare installation and technical support for NTUH.
Health Robotics is a supplier of life-critical intra-venous medication preparation, compounding, and dispensing robots, providing healthcare facilities in four continents with robotics technology and software automation solutions.