Endocare, Competitor Resolve Patent Disputes

Endocare Inc. in Irvine and Cryomedical Sciences Inc. have settled a legal patent-infringement dispute, the companies said Monday.

Although more specific terms weren’t disclosed, the U.S. District Court settlement included licensing agreements under which each company could use certain of the other’s patented technologies.

Cryomedical Sciences, a New Jersey developer and manufacturer of products used in low-temperature medicine, agreed that an Endocare patent combining cryo-cooling, ultrasound and temperature-monitoring technology is valid.

Endocare had filed a lawsuit against Cryomedical, which responded with a counterclaim.

The dispute concerned a process called targeted cryoablation, in which argon gas is used to freeze and destroy tissue. Endocare’s patent covers a combination of cryoablation with ultrasound and temperature monitoring to destroy cancer cells.

Endocare makes minimally invasive surgical devices and focuses on the development of surgical devices to treat prostate disease.

Endocare’s shares fell 81 cents to $11.75 in Nasdaq trading, while Cryomedical’s over-the-counter stock closed unchanged at 50 cents a share.