Covidien, which had been locked in patent infringement litigation with Medrad of Warrendale, Pa., over injection systems used with MRIs, has agreed to pay $17 million as part of a settlement reached Jan. 18.

According to a Monday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Mansfield, Mass.-based Covidien and Medrad agreed to drop all legal claims against each other.

Both Medrad and Covidien make powered medical injectors which provide contrast of patient tissues during procedures that involve imaging, such as angioplasty, CT and MR.

Also, as part of the deal reached on Jan. 18, another settlement between the parties was expanded in which Medrad agreed not to assert patent claims against additional Covidien power injectors.

Medrad's patents cover a variety of injector applications, such as programmable injector controls.

The U.S. patents are RE 37,602; 6,339,718; 6,643,537; 6,743,205; 6,676,634; 6,726,657; 6,336,913; and 6,970,735.