eICU patent dispute examined

As noted in yesterday's trends issue, you can expect the eICU concept to gain momentum this year as the increased availability of the technology makes implementing systems more affordable for providers and systems make their way into other departments. The most well-known player in this emerging field, Baltimore-based VISICU, has been exchanging legal shots with Cerner in a patent dispute over the past six months. Cerner, which sees the obvious market potential in remote monitoring technologies, is challenging the legitimacy of VISICU's patent. VISICU is also fighting a battle with Boston's iMedSoft, which was awarded a patent for "remote monitoring of ICU systems" in 1996.

-see this article from MSNBC