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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Litigation and Related Matters On June 9, 2010, Smith & Nephew, Inc. ("Smith & Nephew") filed suit against Interlace Medical, Inc. ("Interlace"), which the Company acquired on January 6, 2011, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The complaint alleged that the Interlace MyoSure hysteroscopic tissue removal device infringed U.S. patent 7,226,459 (the '459 patent). On November 22, 2011, Smith & Nephew filed suit against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The complaint alleged that use of the MyoSure tissue removal system infringed U.S. patent 8,061,359 (the '359 patent). Both complaints sought preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and unspecified damages. On September 4, 2012, following a two week trial, the jury returned a verdict of infringement of both the ‘459 and ‘359 patents and assessed damages of $4.0 million. A two-day bench trial regarding the Company’s assertion of inequitable conduct on the part of Smith & Nephew with regard to the ‘359 patent began on December 10, 2012 and oral arguments on the issue of inequitable conduct were presented on February 27, 2013. On June 27, 2013, the Court denied the Company’s motions related to inequitable conduct and allowed Smith & Nephew’s request for injunction, but ordered that enforcement of the injunction be stayed until final resolution, including appeal, of the current re-examinations of both patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). The Court also rejected the jury’s damage award and ordered the parties to identify a mechanism for resolving the damages issue. The USPTO issued final decisions that the claims of the ‘459 and the '359 patents asserted as part of the litigation are not patentable, which decisions Smith & Nephew appealed to the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board. In 2016, the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (i) affirmed the USPTO decision with respect to the '459 patent, holding that the claims at issue are invalid, and (ii) reversed the USPTO decision with respect to the '359 patent, holding that the claims at issue are not invalid. The Company and Smith & Nephew have appealed the decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board on the '359 patent and the '459 patent, respectively, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. At this time, based on available information regarding this litigation, the Company is unable to reasonably assess the ultimate outcome of this case or determine an estimate, or a range of estimates, of potential losses. In January 2012, Enzo Life Sciences, Inc. ("Enzo") filed suit against the Company's subsidiary, Gen-Probe Incorporated ("Gen-Probe"), in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging that certain of Gen-Probe’s diagnostics products, including products that incorporate Gen-Probe’s patented hybridization protection assay technology (HPA), including the Aptima line of products, infringe Enzo’s U.S. patent 6,992,180 (the '180 patent). On March 6, 2012, Enzo filed suit against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging that products based on the Company's Invader chemistry platform, such as Cervista HPV HR and Cervista HPV 16/18, infringe the '180 patent. On July 16, 2012, Enzo amended its complaint to include additional products that include HPA or TaqMan reagent chemistry, including Progensa, AccuProbe and Prodesse product lines. The Company counter-claimed for non-infringement, invalidity and unenforceability of the ‘180 patent. On September 30, 2013, Enzo filed its infringement contentions which added products including "Torch" probes, PACE and certain Procleix assays. Both complaints seek preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and unspecified damages. Enzo has asserted the ‘180 patent claims against six other companies. Summary judgment and Daubert motions were filed by the parties on December 15, 2016. A hearing on the summary judgment motions is scheduled for April 4, 2017 and trial in both suits is scheduled to begin on October 2, 2017. At this time, based on available information regarding this litigation, the Company is unable to reasonably assess the ultimate outcome of this case or determine an estimate, or a range of estimates, of potential losses. On March 27, 2015, Enzo filed an additional suit against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleged that certain additional Company molecular diagnostic products, including, inter alia, the Procleix Parvo/HAV assays and coagulation products, including the Invader Factor II test and the Invader Factor V test, also infringe the '180 patent. The complaint further alleged that certain of the Company’s molecular diagnostic products, including the Company’s Progensa PCA3, Aptima and Procleix products using target capture technology infringe Enzo’s U. S. Patent 7,064,197 (the '197 patent). On June 11, 2015, this matter was stayed pending the resolution of summary judgment motions in the other related suits involving the '197 patent. On March 30, 2016, Hologic filed two requests for inter partes review of the ‘197 patent at the USPTO. The USPTO instituted the two inter partes reviews on all challenged claims on October 4, 2016. The oral arguments in both inter partes reviews are scheduled for June 1, 2017. At this time, based on available information regarding this litigation, the Company is unable to reasonably assess the ultimate outcome of this case or determine an estimate, or a range of estimates, of potential losses. On October 3, 2016, Enzo filed an additional suit against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleged that all of the Company's Progensa PCA3, Aptima and Procleix products infringe U.S. Patent 6,221,581. At this time, based on available information regarding this litigation, the Company is unable to reasonably assess the ultimate outcome of this case or determine an estimate, or a range of estimates, of potential losses. The Company is a party to various other legal proceedings and claims arising out of the ordinary course of its business. The Company believes that except for those matters described above there are no other proceedings or claims pending against it the ultimate resolution of which could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. In all cases, at each reporting period, the Company evaluates whether or not a potential loss amount or a potential range of loss is probable and reasonably estimable under ASC 450, Contingencies. Legal costs are expensed as incurred.

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