The US Patent Office plans to reaffirm all 26 claims of the Visicu patent (No. 6,804,656).

Visicu, which went public last week, said the Patent Office will issue
an ex parte re-examination certificate allowing all 26 of the amended
claims in the company's patent, "System and method for providing
continuous, expert network critical care services from remote
location(s)."

The review is in response to a third party challenge to the patentability of Visicu's claims. The ex parte proceeding began in 2005. Visicu chair and CEO, Frank Sample, touts that, "This once again reinforces for us and our clients that our system for
the advanced remote monitoring of ICU patients is a novel invention
worthy of patent protection." I guess time will tell whether Visicu will "license" the concept to third parties, or use the patent as a competitive barrier. 

[Hat tip: a reader]