JUDGE: GUIDANT INFRINGED ISRAELI FIRM'S PATENT

Guidant Corp. infringed an Israeli company's patent for a device used to prop open heart arteries, a judge ruled. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in New York said one of Medinol Ltd.'s patents was infringed by some Guidant stents and two others weren't. The judge scheduled a March 6 conference on how to deal with Guidant's claim that the patent isn't valid. If the patent holds up, Guidant might be forced to pay damages to closely held Medinol.

Indianapolis Star (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060217/BUSINESS/602170444/1003/BUSINESS)