BOTHELL — SonoSite Inc. faces a new lawsuit filed by General Electric Co., which claims the Bothell-based maker of hand-carried ultrasound machines has infringed on GE’s patents.
This is the second such lawsuit GE has filed against SonoSite within the past 13 months. Last summer, SonoSite filed its own countersuit.
All of the legal action between the two companies is taking place in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, where GE’s health care division is located.
That court also has ranked high in studies of the most favorable places for companies to win patent lawsuits.
SonoSite declared the latest lawsuit, filed last week, to be “baseless and without merit.”
“Because GE is not winning with product innovation or customers, they challenge us in the courts yet again by filing another meritless lawsuit.” Kevin Goodwin, SonoSite’s chief executive officer, said in a written statement. “We strongly believe that there is no legal basis for this lawsuit and we will proceed firmly ahead to defend our legal rights.”
GE could not be reached Tuesday to comment on the lawsuit.
SonoSite and GE have competed fiercely since 2002, when GE introduced its own hand-carried ultrasound machine to directly challenge SonoSite’s dominance of that new niche. Both companies have claimed in recent years to have the largest share of that market.
The legal fireworks began in May of last year, when GE alleged SonoSite had violated five GE patents. SonoSite filed its countersuit in July and then amended it to charge GE with infringing on four of patents.
Both sides want the court to award unspecified monetary damages and an injunction against future patent infringements by its rival.
SonoSite spokeswoman Anne Bugge said last year’s lawsuit and countersuit are headed for a trial later this year, barring unforeseen delays.
Additionally, SonoSite has a patent infringement fight brewing with Zonare Medical Systems Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., which also makes compact ultrasound machines.
Since launching its first product in 1999, more than 40,000 SonoSite ultrasound units have been installed worldwide. Most recently, the rugged portable devices were dispatched to China to help victims in the aftermath of the earthquake there.
SonoSite’s shares gained 2 percent, or 59 cents, on Tuesday to close at $29.77.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com
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