U S Surgical Corp

Santa Barbara-based Circon Corp. returned Chief Executive Richard Auhll to the board and reappointed him chairman, prompting U.S. Surgical Corp., which is seeking to take over the medical device maker, to go back to court to seek his removal from the board.

A federal jury has awarded an Orange County surgical equipment maker $43.5 million in damages from industry giant U.S. Surgical Corp. in a long-running patent infringement dispute involving a device used in minimally invasive surgery. The jury found that U.S. Surgical, a division of Tyco International Ltd., "willfully" infringed a patent held by Applied Medical Resources Corp. of Rancho Santa Margarita, executives at the companies said Friday. That finding gives U.S. District Judge Cormac J.

Unocal Corp. and Miami-based independent Forcenergy Inc. have allied to explore and develop oil and gas pockets in Alaska's Cook Inlet, the companies said. . . . Orange-based Vans Inc. said earnings for its second quarter ended Nov. 30 rose 89.4% to $2.4 million, or 18 cents per share, from $1.3 million, or 13 cents, in the year-ago quarter. . . . Santa Barbara-based Circon Corp. said its board recommended that shareholders reject U.S. Surgical Corp.'s reduced $221-million acquisition bid.

Circon Corp. agreed to ease anti-takeover provisions and consider being acquired, bowing to shareholders upset by the surgical-products maker's rejection of a bid from U.S. Surgical Corp. Santa Barbara-based Circon said it will consider new proposals and invited discussions from companies it negotiated with earlier. Norwalk, Conn.-based U.S. Surgical withdrew its $230-million offer Sept. 15 after agreeing to be bought by Tyco International Ltd.

Imagyn Medical Technologies Inc. said it has filed a patent infringement suit against U.S. Surgical Corp. In the complaint, Newport Beach-based Imagyn alleges that U.S. Surgical's ABBI breast biopsy device infringes on two patents held by Imagyn. Imagyn is seeking an injunction to stop the manufacture and sale of ABBI in the U.S., as well as damages and attorneys' fees. A spokesman for Connecticut-based U.S. Surgical said his company has not been served and can't comment on specifics.

Firm Is Sent FDA Warning on Breast Surgery Device: U.S. Surgical Corp. is improperly peddling a new device for taking tissue samples as a breast cancer surgery instrument that would minimize pain and scarring, government regulators have charged. The Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to the company this week, ordering it to stop advertising the device as the Advanced Breast Biopsy Instrumentation system, or ABBI. U.S. Surgical, based in Norwalk, Conn.

A federal judge has transferred Imagyn Medical Technologies' patent infringement lawsuit against U.S. Surgical Corp. from Virginia to U.S. Surgical's home state of Connecticut. U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris in Alexandria, Va., ruled that trying the case in a state where neither party has significant operations "would be a great inconvenience to everyone involved," U.S. Surgical said. U.S. Surgical is based in Norwalk, Conn.

Circon Corp. agreed to ease anti-takeover provisions and consider being acquired, bowing to shareholders upset by the surgical-products maker's rejection of a bid from U.S. Surgical Corp. Santa Barbara-based Circon said it will consider new proposals and invited discussions from companies it negotiated with earlier. Norwalk, Conn.-based U.S. Surgical withdrew its $230-million offer Sept. 15 after agreeing to be bought by Tyco International Ltd.

A federal appeals court this week upheld a $20.5-million award to a Laguna Hills maker of surgical devices in a patent-infringement case against industry giant U.S. Surgical Corp. The ruling will enable Applied Medical Resources Corp. to press ahead with plans to go public within months and other expansion activities, said an elated chief executive, Said Hilal. "The most heartwarming thing in my life is seeing the justice system work so elegantly.

An Orange County maker of surgical devices has won $20.5 million against industry giant U.S. Surgical Corp. in a patent-infringement case involving abdominal tubes used for less-invasive operations. Privately held Applied Medical Resources Corp. of Laguna Hills had won a jury verdict of more than $15 million and an unusual finding that U.S. Surgical had willfully violated its patents. The finding gave the judge who presided over the case the option of trebling the damages.

A federal appeals court this week upheld a $20.5-million award to a Laguna Hills maker of surgical devices in a patent-infringement case against industry giant U.S. Surgical Corp. The ruling will enable Applied Medical Resources Corp. to press ahead with plans to go public within months and other expansion activities, said an elated chief executive, Said Hilal. "The most heartwarming thing in my life is seeing the justice system work so elegantly.

Tyco International Ltd. plans to buy U.S. Surgical Corp. for $3.3 billion in a bid to enable the companies to compete more effectively against much bigger rivals and boost their business of supplying medical products to hospitals. U.S. Surgical, which primarily makes products for closing surgical wounds and performing minimally invasive surgery, would operate as a unit of Tyco's disposable and specialty medical products group. U.S.

A federal judge has transferred Imagyn Medical Technologies' patent infringement lawsuit against U.S. Surgical Corp. from Virginia to U.S. Surgical's home state of Connecticut. U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris in Alexandria, Va., ruled that trying the case in a state where neither party has significant operations "would be a great inconvenience to everyone involved," U.S. Surgical said. U.S. Surgical is based in Norwalk, Conn.

Santa Barbara-based Circon Corp. returned Chief Executive Richard Auhll to the board and reappointed him chairman, prompting U.S. Surgical Corp., which is seeking to take over the medical device maker, to go back to court to seek his removal from the board.

Imagyn Medical Technologies Inc. said it has filed a patent infringement suit against U.S. Surgical Corp. In the complaint, Newport Beach-based Imagyn alleges that U.S. Surgical's ABBI breast biopsy device infringes on two patents held by Imagyn. Imagyn is seeking an injunction to stop the manufacture and sale of ABBI in the U.S., as well as damages and attorneys' fees. A spokesman for Connecticut-based U.S. Surgical said his company has not been served and can't comment on specifics.

Santa Barbara-based Circon Corp. said it rejected U.S. Surgical Corp.'s fourth bid, calling the $16.50-a-share, or $235-million, offer for the maker of surgical devices too low. U.S. Surgical first offered to buy Circon in August 1996 for $18 a share, a bid that was lowered to $17 and then $16.33. Circon rejected each offer. U.S. Surgical filed a lawsuit against Circon on Aug. 13 to let shareholders vote on the offer. Circon's board asked shareholders not to respond to U.S. Surgical's Aug.

U.S. Surgical Corp. said it has begun another hostile tender offer to acquire the rest of Santa Barbara-based Circon Corp., a maker of devices for minimally invasive surgery that it has been pursuing for a year. The offer, which values Circon at about $218 million, is for $16.50 a share. Norwalk, Conn.-based U.S. Surgical also makes products meant to lower the cost of surgery and other medical treatments. It already owns 14.8% of Circon. U.S.

U.S. Surgical Corp. said it has begun another hostile tender offer to acquire the rest of Santa Barbara-based Circon Corp., a maker of devices for minimally invasive surgery that it has been pursuing for a year. The offer, which values Circon at about $218 million, is for $16.50 a share. Norwalk, Conn.-based U.S. Surgical also makes products meant to lower the cost of surgery and other medical treatments. It already owns 14.8% of Circon. U.S.

Urohealth Systems Inc. on Friday sweetened by 35% its deal to buy Imagyn Medical Inc. for stock, and the boards of the two Orange County medical device companies endorsed the revised terms. Imagyn, a Laguna Niguel company whose low stock price and innovative instruments for gynecological surgery make it an attractive target, also said it rejected the unsolicited offer received earlier this week from giant U.S. Surgical Corp. The Norwalk, Conn.-based company said it won't increase its offer.