Tyco Healthcare Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Over Reusable Sharps Containers

MANSFIELD, Mass. -- Tyco Healthcare Group LP announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the United States Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Daniels Corporation, Daniels Sharpsmart, Inc., and American Waste Industries, Inc. Tyco Healthcare asserts that Daniels' Sharpsmart reusable sharps disposal containers infringe upon two patents: Patent No. 5,947,285 titled "Medical Waste Disposal Container," and Patent No. 4,779,728 titled "Sharps Disposal Container." American Waste is alleged to be a marketer and distributor of Daniels' manufactured products.

In 1981, Tyco Healthcare introduced the first sharps container for safe disposal of needles and other sharp-edged or -ended medical equipment commonly known as sharps. Tyco Healthcare has since focused on providing healthcare workers with innovative sharps disposal products in the effort to protect them from the risks of sharps injury, including accidental needlesticks. Tyco Healthcare's 20-plus-year commitment to clinical and environmental safety includes the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in product development and manufacturing. This investment has resulted in the broadest range of products and programs available to healthcare facilities today, as well as has provided Tyco Healthcare with a strong portfolio of U.S. patents.

Tyco Healthcare now offers a broad array of sharps disposal products with

more than 30 different safety in-room catalog items -- ranging in size from

five quarts to four gallons in several color options -- including the

SharpStar and GatorGuard Safety In-Room Containers.

Tyco Healthcare, a business segment of Tyco International, Ltd., is a

leading manufacturer, distributor and servicer of medical devices worldwide.

Its portfolio includes disposable medical supplies, monitoring equipment,

medical instruments and bulk analgesic pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Source: Tyco Healthcare