Maquet sues Terumo on vein harvesting patents

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate whether Japan's Terumo Corp (4543.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) infringed patents held by a U.S. company for products that remove blood vessels from one part of a patient's body for transplantation.

The investigation was requested by Maquet Cardiovascular LLC, a unit of Swedish-based Getinge AB (GETIb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). Maquet, which is based in San Jose, California, also filed a lawsuit in federal court in California accusing Terumo of infringing two Maquet patents.

The company's vein-harvesting product is typically used to remove a healthy blood vessel from a patient's leg to replace a diseased artery to the heart. Maquet says Terumo has infringed two patents for its device for endoscopic vessel harvesting.

Maquet has asked the trade commission to bar importation of the Terumo devices and is seeking an injunction and monetary damages in the California court.

The trade commission has become a popular venue for patent disputes because it can bar imports of technology that infringes a patent. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by John Wallace)