Puritan’s Products Unaffected by Competitor Patent Claims for Methods of Using Flocked Swabs

Puritan has already received patents in Canada and anticipates US patents and worldwide for its unique HydraFlock® swabs.

Puritan Medical Products Co., LLC, an American manufacturer of single-use medical products for the global market in the healthcare, forensic, critical environment, food safety, and drug manufacturing industries, has announced that its flocked swab products are in no way affected by Copan’s recent patent activities such as U.S. patent no. 8317728 to be issued Nov. 27 for a “Method of Using Flock Swab for Collecting Biological Specimens.”

Puritan manufactures more than 35 types of flocked swabs including the PurFlock® and HydraFlock swabs . Puritan seeks to clarify any possible confusion in the marketplace relative to Copan's assertion that “U.S. Patent Office Grants Copan Invention of Flocked Swabs.”

No U.S. patent claims issued to Copan are for a “flocked swab invention.” The only allowed claims were claims to a method for using a particular type of swab with particular characteristics. Their U.S. patents have no claims to a swab.

"These patent activities have absolutely no bearing on Puritan’s products, Puritan’s ability to produce our trademarked PurFlock® and HydraFlock® swabs, or Puritan’s ability to continue to supply our international customers with the highest quality single-use medical products in the industry," said Timothy Templet, Puritan executive vice president of global sales and marketing.

The HydraFlock® swab has received patents in both the U.S. and Canada for the product itself and the manufacturing process involved. Additional patents are still pending in countries around the world. Puritan’s HydraFlock® swab delivers high performance by combining a unique microstructure with innovative fibers to produce excellent sample collection, rapid elution, and high test sensitivity.

About Puritan

Puritan Medical Products Co., LLC is North America’s largest manufacturer of single-use medical products and diagnostic products. All Puritan products are manufactured at their Guilford, Maine, U.S. facility, which includes custom media manufacturing and compounding capability to meet a multitude of customer needs. Research and development and product testing, approval and release all take place in-house at the company’s state-of-the-art microbiology laboratory and conforms to stringent U.S. quality system regulations.

Contact:

Puritan Medical Products Co., LLC
Timothy Templet, +1 207 876 3311
tltemplet@hwppuritan.com