Court Ruling a Setback for New Image Industries

A Bay Area federal court, granting a preliminary injunction in a patent-infringement lawsuit, has ordered New Image Industries Inc. of Canoga Park to stop making, using or selling its dental intra-oral camera.

The court’s order came after High Tech Medical Instrumentation Inc. of Santa Rosa filed a lawsuit in November contending that certain features of New Image’s AcuCam camera infringes a patent held by High Tech. The AcuCam is a pen-sized camera that is one of New Image’s main products.

Roger Leddington, New Image’s chief executive officer, acknowledged that the court’s order was a setback. But he said the company on Friday began shipment of the AcuCam camera with a redesigned handpiece to avoid the alleged patent infringement. At the same time, Leddington said New Image would continue to oppose the suit and that it has appealed the court’s order.