Hamamatsu Photonics KK (HPK) has been awarded Reissue Patent no. 42,220 (RE42,220), confirming the patentability of its original Patent 6,847,729, a pioneering patent directed to slide scanning with remote viewing.
The patent is for the essential mechanism whereby a microscope slide is scanned and then digitized for remote viewing.
The patent covers the basic operation of HPK’s line of NanoZoomer digital pathology instruments (including the NanoZoomer 2.0HT, and the NanoZoomer 2.0RS).
The NanoZoomer instruments have been accepted in the digital pathology market and the patent position of HPK should encourage software manufacturers to develop software that supports the NanoZoomer platform.
HPK managing director Hitoshi Iida said by reissuing this patent, they believe that USPTO has sustained the validity of the most central digital pathology patent and they feel confident to move forward with enforcement of their patent rights.