Boston Scientific has sued Atraverse Medical, a company Johnson & Johnson acquired earlier this year, alleging its Hotwire transseptal access device infringes a newly issued patent. It is the second patent suit between the companies over the device, according to the complaint filed Oct. 7 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Boston Scientific and its Irish subsidiary Boston Scientific Medical Device, which owns the patent, allege Hotwire infringes U.S. Patent No. 12,733,955, “Methods and Devices for Puncturing Tissue,” which the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued Sept. 15. The patent covers using electrical energy to puncture tissue such as the septum of the heart, permitting access to the left side of the heart, in a way that minimizes device exchanges during transseptal procedures. Hotwire is a single-use radiofrequency guidewire the FDA cleared in May 2024.
The complaint alleges Atraverse directly infringes at least claims 1 and 22 and indirectly infringes by instructing physicians on how to use Hotwire for transseptal procedures. Boston Scientific also alleges the infringement is willful. It says its counsel notified Atraverse’s counsel of the patent Sept. 17 and that Atraverse had been on notice of the patent family since Boston Scientific sued over a related patent in August 2025 and sent a cease-and-desist letter days later. A third amended complaint in that earlier case, filed in June, asserts five related patents.
Boston Scientific seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction, damages including lost profits or at least a reasonable royalty, enhanced damages and attorneys’ fees. It has demanded a jury trial. Boston Scientific’s complaint does not include a response from J&J or Atraverse.
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