In a key decision in the power struggle between two rival device makers, a federal judge upheld a patent protecting Boston Scientific's drug-eluting stent. According to The New York Times, the ruling appears to "level the playing field" in the battle between the company and Johnson & Johnson for dominance in the $6 billion stent market. The verdict is the latest twist in the patent war between the two companies. Last year a federal court ruled in favor of J&J, upholding a patent protecting the "use of balloons to expand the cylindrical stents into artery walls." For those of you keeping track at home, the score in the infringement battle now stands 2-2.

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