Impliant Granted Two New U.S. Patents and Successfully Defends European Patent Opposition Case
June 09 2009 - 10:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
PRINCETON, N.J., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Impliant, Inc., a developer
of novel spine arthroplasty alternatives to fusion surgery, today
announced that the European Patent Office has confirmed the
validity of one of its key patents following an Opposition by
Archus Orthopedics, Inc. (Redmond, WA) that concluded with oral
proceedings on May 12, 2009 in Munich, Germany. This patent
(EP1578314 B1), originally issued to Impliant on May 30, 2007,
involves among others the company's flagship product, the TOPS
System, a Total Posterior Arthroplasty device designed to treat
lumbar spinal stenosis with or without facet arthrosis and
spondylolisthesis. Archus challenged the patent on the grounds of
being too broad, but the European Patent Office rejected the
opposition and upheld every claim of the patent. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080527/NETU060LOGO ) Impliant
also announced that it has been granted two additional patents in
the United States. The first (US 7537613), granted on May 26, 2009,
is another patent that directs to the company's TOPS System. The
second (US 20050197705), already a patent in Europe (EP1646338),
entails a unique translateral spinal disc replacement. "We are very
pleased by the outcome of these procedings," said Todd Potokar,
President and CEO of Impliant. "The successful defense of one of
our main patents in Europe coupled with the addition of two new
patents in the U.S. further strengthens our robust IP portfolio."
Impliant is applying cutting-edge materials and crossbar
biomechanical techniques to develop a new class of spine
arthroplasty devices that target over 40% of the patients worldwide
who undergo fusion surgery and could benefit from a Total Posterior
Arthroplasty solution. About the TOPS(TM) System Impliant's
TOPS(TM) System, a mobile posterior device, is designed to
stabilize but not fuse the L3-4 or L4-5 vertebral level to
alleviate pain stemming from spinal stenosis with or without
degenerative facet arthrosis, and spondylolisthesis. Following a
laminectomy and medial facetectomy, the device is affixed to the
spine via four pedicle screws using a standard posterior surgical
approach. Impliant believes that the TOPS(TM) System could benefit
over 500,000 patients worldwide undergoing spinal fusion surgery
each year. The TOPS(TM) System is not approved for sale in the
United States. About Impliant, Inc. Impliant, Inc. is a privately
held company engaged in the development of novel spine arthroplasty
solutions for some of the most prevalent pathologies of the spine.
The company is currently developing the TOPS(TM) System, which has
the longest clinical history in the Total Posterior Arthroplasty
market segment, dating to January 2005. Impliant is also developing
several next-generation and multi-level technologies to further
increase its addressable market. Impliant is headquartered in
Princeton, NJ with research facilities located in Ramat Poleg,
Israel. Shareholders include Elron Electronic Industries Ltd.
(Nasdaq & TASE: ELRN). For more information about Impliant,
please visit http://www.impliant.com/.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080527/NETU060LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Impliant, Inc. CONTACT:
Todd Potokar, President & CEO, +1-609-779-6800, , or Ronnie
Levy, COO & General Manager, +1-609-779-6800, , both of
Impliant, Inc. Web Site: http://www.impliant.com/
Copyright