- Dr. Squatch, LLC v. The Procter & Gamble CompanyAll claims unpatentablePTAB · Mar 25, 2026 · IPR2024-01498 · APJ Sheridan K Snedden · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–19 are unpatentable as obvious over the Lesniak- and Native-based grounds; the Squatch and Sturgis ground fails because Squatch was not shown to be a printed publication.
RulingsFinal written decision- BurdenDecided for patent owner
“We agree with Patent Owner that Petitioner has not shown sufficiently that Squatch is a printed publication. As described above, Petitioner relies on Squatch as a “website excerpt” placed on its site at the relevant time, but has not produced a screen shot of the website to show that it ever existed. See Ex. 1059. Petitioner provides internal documents that purport to describe what would have been on Dr. Squatch’s website at the relevant time, but falls short of establishing what was on the website for the interested consumer to view. Thus, we determine that this ground fails.” slip op. at 55
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“or “POSITA”) at the time of the invention “would have (1) at least a B.S. or equivalent degree; and (2) at least two years of experience in cosmetics formulations.” Pet. 17 (citing Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 26–28). Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s proposal about the POSA’s qualifications at this stage of the proceeding. PO Resp. 10. We adopt and apply Petitioner’s proposed definition of a POSA, which is consistent with the level of skill reflected in the asserted prior art. See e.g., Exs. 1003, 1004.” slip op. at 8
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedPatent owner expert discountedDecided for petitioner
“compositions with the relevant ingredients and achieves stable compositions through the use of a second wax having a melting point of 73 to 90° C. Pet. Reply 6–7 (citing Ex. 1003, 1:39–54). For example, Lesniak’s compositions (nos. 8 and 11) that used such a secondary wax, namely CastorWax MP80, are disclosed as sufficiently stable. Ex. 1003, Table 2. Here, we further credit the testimony of Dr. Michniak-Kohn that Lesniak teaches how to make stable compositions by including a secondary wax, such as castor wax, with a sufficiently high melting point. Ex. 1003, 1:39-54, 5:23-32, Table 2. Both of the compositions (nos. 8 and 11) tested by Lesniak that had such a wax passed the stability tests. Id. Ex. 1086 ¶ 7; see also Pet. Reply 6 (“Lesniak overcame any stability issues, as it expressly discloses compositions that are ‘physically stable at high and low temperatures.’”) (citing Ex. 1003, 5:23–32). Having considered the parties’ positions and evidence of record, summarized above, we determine that Lesniak provides sufficient disclosure to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to formulate deodorant stick within the parameters of claim 1.” slip op. at 25
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Preamble limiting or notPreamble limitingDecided for patent owner
“Patent Owner asserts that the preamble of independent claims 1, 16, and 19 reciting “a deodorant stick” is limiting as it provides antecedent basis for the recitation of “said deodorant stick being free of an aluminum salt” for each independent claim. PO Resp. 7–10. Patent Owner also points to dependent claims 6–9 as relying on the preamble reciting “a deodorant stick” as antecedent basis for claim elements. Id. at 9. We agree. Petitioner does not argue to the contrary. See, e.g., Pet. 19 (arguing that Lesniak discloses a deodorant stick in the form of an antiperspirant stick).” slip op. at 8
Patent outcomesUS 11,844,752 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,844,752 - Avation Medical, Inc. v. Emkinetics, Inc.All claims unpatentablePTAB · Mar 16, 2026 · IPR2024-01378 · APJ John G New · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–10 are unpatentable as anticipated by Svihra or obvious over the asserted combinations; the cited non-patent references qualify as printed publications.
RulingsFinal written decision- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable
“Legal Standards Anticipation A claim is unpatentable as anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102 only when “every element and limitation of the claim was previously described in a single prior art reference, either expressly or inherently, so as to place a person of ordinary skill in possession of the invention.” Sanofi-Synthelabo v. Apotex, Inc., 550 F.3d 1075, 1082 (Fed. Cir. 2008). However, a reference may inherently anticipate if a claim limitation that is not expressly disclosed “is necessarily present, or inherent, in the single anticipating reference.” Verizon Servs. Corp. v. Cox Fibernet Va., Inc., 602 F.3d 1325, 1337 (Fed. Cir. 2010). The “very essence of inherency is that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a reference unavoidably teaches the property in question.” Agilent Technologies, Inc. v. Affymetrix, Inc., 567 F.3d 1366, 1383 (Fed. Cir. 2009).” slip op. at 8
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication establishedDecided for petitioner
“(citing In re Klopfenstein, 380 F.3d 1345, 1350 (Fed. Cir. 2004)). Of particular relevance to the case presently before us is the VidStream court’s holding that “[w]hen there is an established publisher there is a presumption of public accessibility as of the publication date.” VidStream, 981 F.3d at 1065. Hulu addressed, inter alia, whether certain asserted references were shown to be publicly available and could be considered as prior art. IPR2018-01039, Paper 29 at 8. In Hulu, the Board held that, although testimonial evidence is one way to prove public accessibility, there are also various indicia of publication and other evidence that may be considered as a totality of the evidence to determine if an asserted reference was publicly accessible and prior art. Id. at 18. Facts to be considered in analyzing the issue, other than testimonial evidence, include, for example, whether there is an established publisher, a copyright date/notice, other publication-related dates (impression, printing, etc.), an ISBN number, citations to the reference before (and to a lesser degree, after) the priority date at issue corroborating its availability and/or that the publisher was established. Id. at 19–20 (see Valve Corp. v. Ironburg Inventions Ltd., 8 F.4th 1364, 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2021)). Here, we find the totality of evidence supports the conclusion that Petitioner has made a sufficient showing that Svihra and Amarenco (as well as the other identified non-patent references) were printed publications, and publicly accessible, prior to the ’477 patent’s priority date. We note at the outset that Patent Owner does not allege that any contested reference is fabricated, or a counterfeit document, but only that Petitioner has not set forth sufficient facts establishing that such references were published and available. Resp. 4. Svihra bears sufficient indicia of publication to conclude it was a printed publication and publicly accessible as of 2002. Ex. 1004. First, it appears on its face to be a legitimate scientific journal article; it indicates it was included at pages 480–83 in volume 103 (No. 12) of Bratisl Lek Listy, the Bratislava Medical Journal, which was established in 1921. The article identifies that it was received for publication on May 30, 2002, and accepted for publication on December 9, 2002; and multiple means of contact for the author and publisher are provided. Id. at 480, 483. Each of these indicia supports the contention that Svihra was published and publicly available in 2002. There is no direct evidence that Svihra was publicly accessed as of this date, but the article is cited as a reference in each of Exhibits 1085–1087, which further supports that Svihra was, generally, publicly available to interested individuals of ordinary skill in the art, which further corroborates that it was a published and publicly accessible publication. Having an established publisher also creates a presumption of publication for Svihra, which has not been rebutted by Patent Owner. VidStream, 981 F.3d at 1065.” slip op. at 22
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successUnpatentableMotivation foundUnpatentable
“Petitioner also explains why a person of ordinary skill would have been motivated to combine the cited references, again citing specific disclosures from the references, and the supporting testimony of Dr. Wingeier. See Pet. at 27–28. Based on our review of Petitioner’s arguments and the evidence of record, we determine that Petitioner has established, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the cited references teach or suggest all of the limitations of challenged claim 1, and that Petitioner has established why a person of ordinary skill would have been motivated to combine the references, as proposed, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the reasons advocated by Petitioner with respect to Ground 2.” slip op. at 14
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“engineering, and at least two years of experience in the design and/or analysis of biomedical devices” and that “[a]dditional work experience could substitute for a formal degree and vice versa.” Pet. 14 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶ 21). Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s proposal. See generally Resp. Because Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art appears to be consistent with the challenged patent and the level of skill in the prior art, we adopt Petitioner’s proposed definition and additionally use the term “skilled artisans” to refer to people with such skill at the time the invention was filed.” slip op. at 10
Patent outcomesUS 9,002,477 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · GrahamPatents in suitUS 9,002,477 - Avation Medical, Inc. v. Emkinetics, Inc.All claims unpatentablePTAB · Mar 16, 2026 · IPR2024-01375 · APJ John G New · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–13 are unpatentable as obvious under § 103 over Svihra, Mann, and Ponsford, and independently over Amarenco, Mann, and Ponsford.
RulingsFinal written decision- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed board ownOther
“Ex. 1001, claim 1. In other words, to effectuate “direct” stimulation of the PTN nerve branch, a practitioner of the ’742 patent must: (1) non-invasively position an electrical stimulator relative to a portion of a patient’s body, such that a branch of a posterior tibial nerve within the first portion of the body is directly targeted by the electrical stimulator; (2) passing a current through the electrical stimulator; and (3) delivering an electrical stimulus from the electrical stimulator to the branch of the posterior tibial nerve such that the branch directly receives the electrical stimulation. Merely “placing electrodes over branches of the PTN” cannot be said, in and of itself, to “directly” target and stimulate the branches, as Petitioner argues.” slip op. at 12
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“of filing “would have had an undergraduate degree in the field of biomedical engineering or a related discipline, such as electrical engineering, and at least two years of experience in the design and/or analysis of biomedical devices” and that “[a]dditional work experience could substitute for a formal degree and vice versa.” Pet. 21 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 20–21). Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s proposal. See generally Resp. Because Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art appears to be consistent with the challenged patent and prior art, we adopt this definition, and also use the term “skilled artisan” to refer to persons with such skill at the time the invention was filed.” slip op. at 13
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedOther
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundUnpatentable
“the evidence of record, that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to modify the teachings of Svihra by non-invasively stimulating a nerve branch of the PTN, e.g., the medial or lateral plantar nerves, as taught by Ponsford, to treat OAB/urinary incontinence. A skilled artisan would have understood that the fibers of a given branch of the PTN necessarily constitute a subset of the PTN fibers, stimulation of which is known to be effective in the treatment of OAB/urinary incontinence. See Ex. 1004, 480–481. Just as it was known in the art that stimulation of the much larger sacral nerve, of which the fibers of the PTN form a part, could have beneficial effects in the treatment of incontinence, and that stimulation of the PTN itself could have a similar effect (see Ex. 1084, col. 12, ll. 33–52), so, a skilled artisan could reason, might electrical stimulation of a branch of the PTN exert a similar effect. We also agree that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to stimulate a smaller nerve branch of the PTN, rather than the entire PTN itself, so as to minimize undesirable side effects of stimulating the entire PTN, i.e., the recruitment of downstream muscular contraction, as taught by Mann. With respect as to whether a person of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success in the treatment of OAB/incontinence via stimulation of a branch of the PTN, rather than the entire PTN itself, we agree with Petitioner that a person of ordinary skill in the art, would understand from Mann that electrical stimulation of the larger, more central sacral nerve could be employed to treat OAB/urinary incontinence, and that a subset of those PTN fibers could be electrically stimulated to achieve a similar effect. See Ex. 1084, col. 12, ll. 33–52. Such a skilled artisan could similarly reason that a subset of those PTN fibers, i.e., a branch of the PTN, particularly major branches such as the plantar nerves, could also be similarly electrically stimulated to treat OAB/urinary incontinence. Although success in such an experiment would not be guaranteed, “only a reasonable expectation of success, not absolute predictability, is necessary for a conclusion of obviousness.” In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 897 (Fed. Cir. 1985).” slip op. at 46
Patent outcomesUS 11,224,742 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,224,742 - Thermaltake Technology Co., Ltd. / Thermaltake Inc. v. Chien-Hao ChenAll claims unpatentablePTAB · Feb 17, 2026 · IPR2024-01230 · APJ Andreas Baltatzis · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–5 are unpatentable; substitute claims 6 and 7 are unpatentable, and the Revised Motion to Amend is denied.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level board ownDecided for petitioner
“our Institution Decision comports with the qualifications a person would have needed to understand and implement the teachings of the ’336 patent and the prior art of record. Inst. Dec. 15. Accordingly, we adopt the level of skill discussed in our Institution Decision. C.” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed board ownDecided for patent owner
“Pharms. Inc. v. Amino Chemicals Ltd., 715 F.3d 1363, 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2013)). Accordingly, Patent Owner applies a different definition of “side,” in claim 1’s recitation of “an illumination area on at least two sides of the fan at top of the body,” to that definition used to understand “side[s] of the body,” discussed above. Specifically, Patent Owner argues that Petitioner’s dictionary definition of “side,” including “an area next to something” applies to “an illumination area on at least two sides of the fan at the top of the body.” See id. at 8–9.” slip op. at 17
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successUnpatentableMotivation foundUnpatentable
“Hasegawa, and Huang teaches or suggests the limitations of claim 3, and that one skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine those teachings with a reasonable expectation of success. See Ex. 1004 ¶¶ 136– 140; Ex. 1008, 8:4–15, 3:20–29. Accordingly, we determine that claim 3 would have been obvious over Lai and Huang, or Lai, Hasegawa, and Huang. F.” slip op. at 50
- 112 supportMotion to amend, deniedDenied
“c) Conclusion We conclude that Patent Owner's Revised Motion to Amend adds new” slip op. at 90
Patent outcomesUS 10,690,336 unpatentableClaim construction§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosurecites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 10,690,336 - Smaxtec Inc. / Smaxtec Animal Care GmbH v. St Reproductive Technologies, LLCAll claims unpatentablePTAB · Jan 16, 2026 · IPR2024-01067 · APJ Andreas Baltatzis · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 5–7, 9, and 10 are unpatentable: claims 5 and 6 are anticipated by Harvey and Riskey, claim 7 is obvious over Harvey and Rettedal, and claims 9 and 10 are obvious over Harvey and …
RulingsFinal written decision- BurdenNot shown unpatentable
“Considering the entire record, we determine that Petitioner “did not make out its obviousness case in its petition” and its arguments on reply “effectively abandoned its petition in favor of a new argument.” Wasica at 1286. To the extent Petitioner asserts the claims would have been obvious over Harvey and Riskey in the Petition, it does so using a merely conclusory statement that “[t]o the extent Patent Owner alleges that either Harvey or Riskey fails to teach any claim element, that element is provided by the other reference.” See Pet. 42; Wasica at 1286. And, as discussed in our Institution Decision, the Petition at a minimum does not explain what reference is the primary versus second reference, and what elements should be combined to reach the claimed invention. See Sisvel, 82 F.4th at 1364. reference to be modified with Riskey’s bolus and data compression. See Pet. Reply 15–17. Rather than explaining how its original petition was correct, Petitioner’s subsequent arguments amount to an entirely new theory of prima facie obviousness absent from the Petition. See Wasica, 853 F.3d at 1286; see also Intelligent Bio-Sys., Inc. v. Illumina Cambridge Ltd., 821 F.3d 1359, 1369 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (“the expedited nature of IPRs bring with it an obligation for petitioners to make their case in their petition to institute”). We decline to engage in this new argument. Accordingly, we determine that Petitioner has not met is burden to show that claims 5 and 6 would have been obvious over Harvey and Riskey. G. Asserted Obviousness of Claim 7 over Harvey and Rettedal” slip op. at 54
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedPatent owner expert discountedDecided for petitioner
“Riskey discloses “said sensor signal varies based on a corresponding change in one or more physiological parameters of said ruminant animal” (limitation 5[B]). We find Riskey’s description of temperature sensors to be persuasive evidence on this issue. Riskey discloses sensors for measuring changing animal characteristics, e.g., temperature, over time. Ex. 1005 ¶¶ 35, 44; see also id. ¶¶ 75, 76 (detecting temperature changes). We further credit Dr. Young’s testimony that one skilled in the art would understand that generated sensor signals, e.g., temperature, would change over time, whereby the sensor signal varies based on any corresponding change in the ruminant physiological parameter that the signal represents. Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 84, 85; see Cont’l Can Co. USA v. Monsanto Co., 948 F.2d 1264, 1269 (Fed. Cir. 1991) (“This modest flexibility in the rule that ‘anticipation’ requires that every element of the claims appear in a single reference accommodates the reference; that is, where technological facts are known to those in the field of the invention.”). We consider Dr. Kan’s testimony that Riskey is silent as to details about the sensor signal, but are not persuaded because the testimony appears to contradict Riskey’s disclosure of a bolus including sensors for monitoring changes in animal characteristics, generating animal characteristic messages, i.e., signals, and wirelessly transmitting data corresponding to the monitored characteristics. See Ex. 2006 ¶¶ 170–174; Ex. 1005 ¶¶ 25, 63, 67, 68, 75–78, 101. Given Riskey’s express description of monitoring animal characteristics over time, we agree with Petitioner’s argument that Riskey discloses that said sensor signal varies based on changes to the animal’s physiological parameters.” slip op. at 16
- Skill levelSkill level board ownOther
“Petitioner asserts that a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSA”) as of the claimed priority date would have “had at least a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related or equivalent field, and three or more years of experience researching, developing, designing and/or evaluating sensor systems for humans or other animals.” Pet. 5 (citing Ex. 1002 ¶ 35) (emphasis added). Patent Owner does not contest Petitioner’s characterization of the level of skill in the art. See PO Resp. 12 (citing Ex. 2006 ¶¶ 19–20). On the entire record, we determine this level of skill, with the exception of the open-ended phrases “at least” and “or more,” which we remove from Petitioner’s proposal, comports with the qualifications a person 5 In the present record, neither party presents arguments or evidence relating to secondary considerations.” slip op. at 10
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“We construe claim terms according to the standard set forth in Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–17 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc), i.e., as construed in a civil action under 35 U.S.C. § 282(b). See 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b). Under Phillips, claim terms are afforded “their ordinary and customary meaning.” Id. at 1312. “[T]he ordinary and customary meaning of a claim term is the meaning that the term would have to a person of ordinary skill in the art in question at the time of the invention.” Id. at 1313. “Importantly, the person of ordinary skill in the art is deemed to read the claim term not only in the context of the particular claim in which the disputed term appears, but in the context of the entire patent, including the specification.” Id. Neither party expressly seeks a specific claim construction or definition for any claim term. See Pet. 10; PO Resp. 12. To the extent Patent Owner seeks to interpret claim 7 in view of the Specification, we address that argument in our discussion of claim 7, below. See infra, § III.G.3. For purposes of this Decision, we determine that no claim terms require express construction. See Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co., 868 F.3d 1013, 1017 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (citing Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (“[O]nly those terms need be construed that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.”)). D. Asserted Anticipation of Claims 5 and 6 by Riskey” slip op. at 11
Patent outcomesUS 10,231,644 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 10,231,644 - Silencerco Weapons Research, LLC v. Huxwrx Safety Co. LLCNo claims unpatentablePTAB · Dec 17, 2025 · IPR2024-01214 · APJ Sean P O’Hanlon · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 2, 3, 6, 9, 12–14, 18, and 20 were not shown unpatentable; the motion to amend was granted for substitute claims 23, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 37–40, and 42, and denied for …
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level board ownOther
“The level of ordinary skill in the art is “a prism or lens” through which we view the prior art and the claimed invention. Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001). The person of ordinary skill in the art is a hypothetical person presumed to have known the relevant art at the time of the invention. In re GPAC Inc., 57 F.3d 1573, 1579 (Fed. Cir. 1995). In determining the level of ordinary skill in the art, we may consider certain factors, including: “(1) the educational level of the inventor; (2) type of problems encountered in the art; (3) prior art solutions to those problems; (4) rapidity with which innovations are made; (5) sophistication of the technology; and (6) educational level of active workers in the field.” Best Med. Int’l, Inc. v. Elekta Inc., 46 F.4th 1346, 1353 (Fed. Cir. 2022) (quoting Daiichi Sankyo Co. v. Apotex, Inc., 501 F.3d 1254, 1256 (Fed. Cir. 2007)). “The patent’s purpose can also be informative.” Id.” slip op. at 9
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed board ownDecided for patent owner
“The ’750 patent states that “the fluid pathway can be a radially serpentine fluid pathway which causes the fluids received in the off axis chamber to flow back and forth around a radius of the off axis chamber,” also using “radially serpentine fluid pathway” to refer to this rotation around the chamber radius “while also traversing a length of the off axis chamber.” Ex. 1001, 4:34–41 (emphasis added). This is the only description of “radially” serpentine flow in the ’750 patent. Notably, the ’750 patent does not use “radially” or “serpentine” to describe a fluid pathway “which causes the fluids to spiral around the central chamber within the off axis chamber along a length of the off axis chamber,” instead referring to such a fluid pathway as a “helical fluid pathway.” Id. at 4:41–44. See CAE Screenplates, Inc. v. Heinrich Fiedler GmbH & Co. KG, 224 F.3d 1308, 1317 (Fed. Cir. 2000) (“In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we must presume that the use of . . . different terms in the claims connotes different meanings.”); Bd. of Regents of the Univ. of Tex. Sys. v. BENQ Am. Corp., 533 F.3d 1362, 1371 (Fed. Cir. 2008) (“Different claim terms are presumed to have different meanings.”). Inst. Dec. 11–12. We explained that the flow path depicted above, which is equivalent to that of Figure 14 of the ’750 patent, “flows circumferentially about the central chamber.” Id. at 14. We maintain this interpretation. Stated differently, the depicted flow is around a longitudinal axis of the chamber. See MTA PG 6 (describing the flow path depicted above as “a back and forth flow path around a longitudinal axis of the off axis chamber; that is, a circumferentially serpentine pathway”); see also Ex. 2003 ¶ 40 (Dr. Neitzel describing the flow path depicted above as “a back and forth flow path around a longitudinal axis of the off axis chamber”). The flow is not around a radius of the chamber, which Patent Owner recognizes is required for a flow path to be radially serpentine. See PO Resp. 10 (“Patent Owner agrees with the Board’s conclusion in the [Institution Decision] that ‘radially serpentine’ as recited in the claims of the ’750 patent means a back and forth flow around a radius of the off axis chamber.” (citation modified)); PO Sur-reply 2 (agreeing that “radially serpentine” requires “a back and forth flow around a radius of the off axis chamber”).” slip op. at 14
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successNot shown unpatentableMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentable
“We agree with Patent Owner that neither Petitioner nor its witness, Mr. Nixon, has explained adequately how Thurler’s disclosure of its tube e being perforated for two thirds of its length “contemplates other lengths of perforations.” See Pet. 48; Ex. 1013 ¶ 212. Such conclusory assertions fail to apprise us of why an ordinarily skilled artisan would have been motivated to modify Thurler’s device in contradiction to Thurler’s explicit disclosure. We are also not persuaded by Petitioner’s proffered reasoning for modifying Thurler’s device. First, the modification is not a matter of design choice because the perforations allow the gases generated by firing the projectile to pass into the space between tubes e and g where they partially expand. See Ex. 1015, 1:84–91. Thus, modifying the number of perforations necessarily affects the flow of gases through the device. Next, neither Petitioner nor Mr. Nixon explains adequately how reducing the amount of perforation in tube e results in an increased fluid length. See Pet. 49; Ex. 1013 ¶ 213. Rather, although less fluid may enter into tube e with Petitioner’s modification, it appears that that fluid would travel the same distance along tubes e and h as in Thurler’s unmodified device. Finally, neither Petitioner nor Mr. Nixon explains adequately how limiting the amount of gases generated by firing the projectile from entering the expansion zones of tubes g and h provides any benefit. To the contrary, limiting the amount of gases in the manner suggested by Petitioner would reduce the suppression of such gases, resulting in a less effective device. Moreover, Thurler discloses that “there is still a space of a few millimeters between [tubes] e and g which is necessary” to prevent the application of “pressure on the projectile causing the same to deviate.” Ex. 1015, 1:106–2:3. Thus, Petitioner’s modification would not result in the passage of gases occurring only at the first three of Thurler’s tubular sleeves as asserted by Petitioner. Additionally, in the Institution Decision, we explained that Petitioner did not provide adequate reasoning to support the proposed modification of Thurler’s device regarding parent claim 1 to have concentric tubes around the central tube e. See Inst. Dec. 29–31. This shortcoming, which we maintain, carries through to dependent claim 6. Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, Petitioner has not shown, by a” slip op. at 26
- ScopeMotion to amend granted in partGranted in part
“We agree with Petitioner that the amendment is broadening. Petitioner’s witness testified that he “wouldn’t call a BB gun a high energy device or a high energy weapon.” Paper 33, 18:4–6. Thus, per Petitioner’s witness, use of a BB gun would not be covered by claim 22, no matter what is discharged from the BB gun. However, if high energy material is discharged from that same BB gun, that use would be covered by proposed substitute claim 43 (assuming the other claim recitations were met). See id. at 21:10–12 (Dr. Neitzel agreeing that “if something produces a high energy material, it automatically is a high energy weapon”). Thus, by deleting “high energy device” and replacing that language with “weapon,” proposed substitute claim 43 impermissibly broadens the scope of claim 22. See Sisvel Int'l S.A. v. Sierra Wireless, Inc., 81 F.4th 1231, 1241 (Fed. Cir. 2023) (“But if a substitute claim ‘is broader in any respect it is considered to be broader than the original claim even though it may be narrower in other respects.’” (citation modified) (quoting Hockerson-Halberstadt, Inc. v. Converse Inc., 183 F.3d 1369, 1374 (Fed. Cir. 1999))); see also Lectrosonics, Paper 15 at 6 (“A patent owner may not seek to broaden a challenged claim in any respect that enlarges the scope of the claims of the patent . . . . Likewise, a proposed substitute claim may not remove a feature of the claim in a manner that broadens the scope of the claims of the challenged patent.”).” slip op. at 45
Patent outcomesUS 8,286,750 not shown unpatentableClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 8,286,750 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. / Samsung Electronics America, Inc. v. Empire Technology Development LLCSome claims unpatentablePTAB · Dec 9, 2025 · IPR2024-00896 · APJ Andreas Baltatzis · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 25–28 are unpatentable as obvious over the asserted Li-based combinations; claim 29 was not shown unpatentable over Li, Siam, and Tiirola.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“relevant to the challenged claims, as of the earliest claimed priority date, “would have had a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, or a related field, and two-to-three years of experience in the research, design, development, or testing of wireless data communication systems at the physical and media access control (MAC) layer.” Pet. 8 (citing Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 30–34). Patent Owner does not oppose Petitioner’s definition of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See PO Resp.; see also Ex. 2022 ¶ 22 (adopting “Petitioners’ and Dr. Valenti’s proposed definition of a person of ordinary skill in the art.”) On the complete record, we determine Petitioner’s proposed level of skill comports with the qualifications a person would have needed to understand and implement the teachings of the ’120 patent and the prior art of record. C. Claim Construction” slip op. at 10
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed petitioner constructionDecided for petitioner
“court in the parallel litigation issued a final claim construction. Pet. Reply 2; PO Sur-Reply 3–5. The district court construed “idle power consumption” as “a power consumed by the mobile station when the mobile station is powered on and waiting to send.” Ex. 1050, 12. The parties propose that we construe the claims to match the district court’s final construction. See Pet. Reply 2; PO Sur-Reply 3; Tr. 26. We agree and adopt the district court’s final claim construction of “idle power consumption” as “a power consumed by the mobile station when the mobile station is powered on and waiting to send,” for the reasons set forth below.” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededDecided for petitioner
“2. Additional Claim Terms For purposes of institution, we determine that no other claim terms require express construction. See Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co., 868 F.3d 1013, 1017 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (citing Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (“[O]nly those terms need be construed that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.”)). D. Asserted Obviousness of Claims 25, 27, and 28 over Li and Siam” slip op. at 15
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundDecided for petitioner
“On the full record, we find that a preponderance of the evidence supports Petitioner’s argument that one skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Li and Siam to reduce total power consumption including idle power consumption (Li) and circuit power consumption (Siam). Both Li and Siam describe a need for reducing energy consumption in wireless devices. See Ex. 1005 ¶ 18; Ex. 1006, 875–76. Both references further describe switching from MIMO mode to another operating mode to reduce power consumption and optimize battery life. See Ex. 1005 ¶ 19; Ex. 1006, 875 (“[W]e dynamically adjust the ‘transmission mode’ . . . so as to minimize the total energy consumption.”). In sum, the references teach the same technique, i.e., mode switching, to achieve the same goal, i.e., reducing energy consumption, in similar devices, i.e., wireless devices. See KSR, 550 U.S. at 417 (“[I]f a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill.”). Accordingly, we are persuaded by Petitioner’s argument and evidence that one skilled in the art would have combined the Li and Siam with a reasonable expectation of success in doing so. See Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 91, 92.” slip op. at 20
Patent outcomesUS 8,798,120 mixedClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 8,798,120 - Smaxtec Inc. / Smaxtec Animal Care GmbH v. St Reproductive Technologies, LLCAll claims unpatentablePTAB · Nov 20, 2025 · IPR2024-00875 · APJ Andreas Baltatzis · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–4, 6, and 17–20 are unpatentable under the Trevarthen and Laitinen-based obviousness grounds; claim 6 was not shown unpatentable over Trevarthen alone.
RulingsFinal written decision- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication establishedDecided for petitioner
“statistics in the absence of evidence of unique downloads or individuals. Even if the download numbers do not exactly represent unique downloads by unique individuals, the evidence shows that Trevarthen was downloaded to some extent, and therefore distributed, prior to the filing date of the ’206 patent. Accordingly, we find this evidence weighs in favor of Trevarthen’s public accessibility.” slip op. at 20
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Term construed patent owner constructionDecided for patent owner
“construction issues: (1) the interpretation of limitations 1[E] and 17[F] relating to entering sensed and stored information into “at least one logical expression,” and (2) “implanted in an animal.” Inst. Dec. 19. We are persuaded by Petitioner’s argument that it would have been obvious to combine sensed and stored information into the same “at least one logical expression,” for the reasons set forth below. Accordingly, we need not construe limitations 1[E] and 17[F], relating to “at least one logical expression.”4 We discuss our construction of “implanted in an animal” below.” slip op. at 12
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundNot shown unpatentableMixed
“would have viewed Trevarthen as a cohesive disclosure of specific improvements to existing dairy farms, as opposed to disparate teachings of unrelated systems. Trevarthen itself proposes “a framework for the use of RFID on dairy farms” including “enhancements and ideas which could be considered as future additions to further add value” for utilizing RFIDs in farm management beyond the Cochrane farm ear-tag RFIDs. Ex. 1005, 99. The enhancements include RFID boluses (id.), milk meters to detect illness (id. at 115), and temperature monitoring by RFID (id. at 121–122). Considering the entire record, Trevarthen itself describes improvements that apply “the predictable use of prior art elements according to their established functions.” See KSR, 550 U.S. at 417. Accordingly, we find that Petitioner has shown a that one skilled in the art would have been motivated to” slip op. at 33
- ExcludeNot reached
“IV. EVIDENTIARY ISSUES Patent Owner moves to exclude Exhibits 1040, 1041, and 1044.” slip op. at 81
Patent outcomesUS 9,844,206 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 9,844,206 - Smaxtec Inc. / Smaxtec Animal Care GmbH v. St Reproductive Technologies, LLCAll claims unpatentablePTAB · Nov 20, 2025 · IPR2024-00885 · APJ Jamie T Wisz · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–4 and 15–25 are unpatentable: claims 1–2 are anticipated by Trevarthen, and the challenged claims are also obvious over the listed combinations.
RulingsFinal written decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“Petitioner”) filed a Petition requesting an inter partes review of claims 1–4 and 15–25 (the “challenged claims”) of U.S. Patent No. 8,823,515 B2 (Ex. 1001, “the ’515 patent”). Paper 1 (“Pet.”). ST Reproductive Technologies, LLC (“Patent Owner”) filed a Preliminary Response. Paper 6 (“Prelim. Resp.”). With our authorization, Petitioner filed a Preliminary Reply (Paper 10, “Prelim. Reply”) and Patent Owner filed a Preliminary Sur-Reply (Paper 13, “Prelim. Sur-Reply”). Upon consideration of these filings and the preliminary evidence of record, we determined that Petitioner had demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail with respect to at least one of the challenged claims of the ’515 patent (Paper 16, “Institution Decision” or “Inst. Dec.”). Thus, we instituted review with respect to all of the challenged claims. slip op. at 2
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication establishedDecided for petitioner
“statistics in the absence of evidence of unique downloads or individuals. Even if the download numbers do not exactly represent unique downloads by unique individuals, the evidence shows that Trevarthen was downloaded, and therefore distributed, prior to the filing date of the ’515 patent. Accordingly, we find this evidence weighs in favor of Trevarthen’s public accessibility.” slip op. at 20
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundDecided for petitioner
“retrieves sensed animal temperature information from the RFID device” and “further teaches that these temperature measurements are analyzed to detect ‘fluctuations,’ ‘a rise,’ and/or ‘anomalies’ that might indicate illness or oestrus.” Id. at 16 (citing Ex. 1005, 121–122). Accordingly, Petitioner asserts that a “POSA would understand that to perform such analysis, the animal temperature information for each animal is necessarily stored in the” slip op. at 36
- ExcludeMotion to exclude, deniedOther
“Patent Owner moves to exclude Exhibits 1040, 1041, and 1044. Paper 36. We do not rely on any of Exhibits 1040, 1041, and 1044 to decide this matter. Thus we dismiss Patent Owner’s motion to exclude as moot.” slip op. at 82
Patent outcomesUS 8,823,515 unpatentable§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 8,823,515 - PTAB · Oct 16, 2025 · IPR2025-00776 · APJ John G New · IPR · Institution
Instituted review of claims 9, 11, 32–58, 60–62, and 64–67 on all remaining petition grounds, after finding a reasonable likelihood that claim 9 is unpatentable over Thomas and Faucette.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“For the reasons set forth below, we determine that Petitioner has demonstrated that there is a reasonable likelihood that at least one of claims 9, 11, 32–58, 60–62, and 64–67 of the ’802 patent is unpatentable, and we on the Grounds set forth in the Petition.” slip op. at 2
- Settled expectationsOther
“Patent Owner also filed a Request with the Acting Director of the USPTO seeking discretionary denial of institution of inter partes review (Paper 6, the “Request”). Petitioner subsequently filed a brief opposing Patent Owner’s Request (Paper 8). On September 3, 2025, the Acting Director denied Patent Owner’s Request for discretionary denial of institution of inter partes review and referred the case to the panel for an institution decision on the merits (Paper 11).” slip op. at 2
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“Petitioner asserts that a person of ordinary skill would have an M.D. or a Ph.D. degree in virology, immunology, and vaccinology, and at least 3 years of experience in one or more of the research, design, development, and testing of antiviral vaccines. Pet. 17. Petitioner asserts that a person of ordinary skill may be part of a multidisciplinary team having such experience. Id. (citing Ex. 1002 ¶ 81). Patent Owner does not dispute the level of skill asserted by Petitioner.” slip op. at 9
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“Neither party requests construction of any claim terms. Petitioner asserts that all claim terms should be given their ordinary and customary meaning, and Patent Owner does not disagree. See Pet. 17. Accordingly, we find, for the purposes of this Decision, that no terms of the challenged claims requires construction beyond the ordinary and customary meaning of the terms, as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1312–13; see also Vivid Techs., Inc. v. construes claims only to the extent necessary to resolve a dispute).” slip op. at 10
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessDiscretionary denialcites Phillips · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,730,802
Holdings, summaries, rulings, issues, outcomes, winners and claim constructions shown for a decision were generated by a large language model reading the opinion. They are a guide to the decision, not the decision. Confirm every one against the court's own text before relying on it. Outcomes read from the patent owner’s side. Party names are extracted from the decision and are missing on about 900 short Director denials and scans, which carry the trial number instead.