Medtronic sued Boston Scientific in 2006 asserting that Boston’s Taxus Express2, Express2, Liberte, Maverick, Maverick2, and Quantum Maverick products infringed the Fitzmaurice and Anderson catheter patents owned by Medtronic.
The Fitzmaurice patents cover angioplasty catheters with narrowed distal ends, which improve the deliverability of angioplasty catheters. The Anderson patent covers semicompliant angioplasty balloons. The Anderson balloons provide sufficient strength to withstand repeated inflations allowing custom vessel sizing.