- PTAB · Dec 6, 2024 · PGR2024-00030 · APJ Elizabeth M Roesel · PGR · Institution
Instituted PGR of claims 1–10 and 12–18; Petitioner met the institution threshold for claim 1 based on obviousness over Schröder.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › §325(d) same art / argumentsDecided for petitioner
“In applying § 325(d), we use a two-part framework: (1) whether the same or substantially the same art previously was presented to the Office or presented to the Office; and (2) if either condition of the first part of the framework is satisfied, whether the petitioner has demonstrated that the Office erred in a manner material to the patentability of challenged claims. Advanced Bionics, LLC v. MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geräte GmbH, IPR2019-01469, Paper 6 at 8 (PTAB Feb. 13, 2020) (precedential). We also consider the non-exclusive factors set forth in Becton, Dickinson and Co. v. B. Braun Melsungen AG, IPR2017-01586, Paper 8 (PTAB Dec. 15, 2017) (precedential in relevant part), which “provide useful insight into how to apply the framework” under § 325(d). Advanced Bionics, Paper 6 at 9. Those non-exclusive factors include: (a) the similarities and material differences between the asserted art and the prior art involved during examination; (b) the cumulative nature of the asserted art and the prior art evaluated during examination; (c) the extent to which the asserted art was evaluated during examination, including whether the prior art was the basis for rejection; (d) the extent of the overlap between the arguments made during examination and the manner in which Petitioner relies on the prior art or Patent Owner distinguishes the prior art; (e) whether Petitioner has pointed out sufficiently how the Examiner erred in its evaluation of the asserted prior art; and (f) the extent to which additional evidence and facts presented in the Petition warrant reconsideration of the prior art or arguments.” slip op. at 12
- Skill levelSkill level board ownOther
“Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art At this stage of the proceeding, there is no dispute about the level of ordinary skill in the art. Based on the testimony of Petitioner’s declarant, we determine that a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”) would have had a four-year degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, optical engineering, or related field of study, and two years of experience in academia or industry studying or developing physiological monitoring devices such as non-invasive biosensors. A POSITA would have been familiar with sensor system design and signal experience, and vice versa. Ex. 1002 ¶ 21. We find that the level of ordinary skill in the art, as articulated above, is consistent with the level of technical understanding and competence reflected in the ’178 Patent Specification and the asserted prior art references.” slip op. at 16
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“as would be used by a district court to construe a claim in a civil action involving the validity or infringement of a patent. 37 C.F.R. § 42.200(b). Under that standard, claim terms are given their ordinary and customary meaning, as would have been understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention, in light of the language of the claims, the specification, and the prosecution history of record. Id.; Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–19 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc); Thorner v. Sony Comput. Entm’t Am. LLC, 669 F.3d 1362, 1365–66 (Fed. Cir. 2012). “The Board is required to construe ‘only those terms . . . that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.’” Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, 912 F.3d 1368, 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (quoting Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999)). We agree with the parties that it is not necessary for us to provide an express construction for any claim term for purposes of determining whether to institute a post-grant review. Pet. 8; Prelim. Resp. 25.” slip op. at 17
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedOther
“Petitioner relies on Dr. Anthony’s testimony that a POSITA would have understood Figures 6–8 as showing a cavity as recited in claim 1 and the battery must be arranged within that cavity because “[o]therwise, if the battery did not fit within the ‘finger-ring,’ the ‘finger-ring’ either has (1) a battery that sticks out or is exposed to the environment or (2) a wired connection to power its components, which is contrary to the intent of having a portable, wearable device.” Ex. 1002 ¶ 166. Dr. Anthony opines that “[a] POSITA would have understood that the battery’s location within the cavity is the ‘first portion’ of the cavity because the battery necessarily occupies space in the cavity.” Id. ¶ 168. Such testimony, when viewed along with the rest of Petitioner’s showing, provides sufficient basis for institution.” slip op. at 20
Claim construction§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosureDiscretionary denialcites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,868,178 - Tiktok Inc. v. Cellspin Soft, Inc.InstitutedPTAB · Oct 1, 2024 · IPR2024-00768 · APJ Cynthia M Hardman · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted IPR on claims 1–10 because Petitioner showed a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on both obviousness grounds: Hiroishi, Kahn, Endsley, and Bluetooth; and Singh129 with Singh906.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › Fintiv (parallel litigation)Denied
“In view of Petitioner’s Sotera stipulation, we will not exercise discretion to deny institution under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a). The Director has 9 Apple Inc. v. Fintiv, Inc., IPR2020-00019, Paper 11 (Mar. 20, 2020) (precedential) (“Fintiv”). 10 Sotera Wireless, Inc. v. Masimo Corp., IPR2020-01019, Paper 12, 18–19 (Dec. 1, 2020) (“Sotera”). issued guidance stating that, when such a stipulation is presented, the PTAB will not discretionarily deny institution in view of the parallel litigation. See Ex. 1034 (Guidance) 3. That guidance is unequivocal and dispositive of the Fintiv analysis here.” slip op. at 10
- Other 314aDenied
“Patent Owner’s argument for discretionary denial under § 316(b) is unavailing. The statute provides that “[i]n prescribing regulations under this section, the Director shall consider the effect of any such regulation on the economy, the integrity of the patent system, the efficient administration of the Office, and the ability of the Office to timely complete proceedings instituted under this chapter.” 35 U.S.C. § 316(b). However, Patent Owner identifies no regulation, rule, or Office guidance that supports its argument here. In the absence of such, we decline to apply any discretion the Director may have under § 316(b) to deny the Petition based on the policy considerations and concerns alleged by Patent Owner.” slip op. at 13
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › §325(d) same art / argumentsDenied
“On this record, we find that Petitioner has adequately demonstrated that the Examiner erred in a manner material to patentability. This follows from our finding that on the current record, Petitioner has shown a reasonable likelihood that the challenged claims are not entitled to a priority date earlier than August 6, 2019, and would have been obvious over Singh129 and Singh906. See infra Section III.F. We find Patent Owner’s assertion that the Examiner understood that “[a]dding the Bluetooth feature to the existing mobile application is the reason for [the] ‘incorporated reference’ in Cellspin’s disclosure” is not supported on this record, including because Patent Owner does not cite any portion of the prosecution history that reflects this alleged understanding. Prelim. Resp. 21. For the above reasons, we decline to exercise our discretion to deny inter partes review under § 325(d).” slip op. at 16
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“understanding of a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made. See Graham, 383 U.S. at 17–18. Petitioner contends that a person of ordinary skill in the art (sometimes abbreviated herein as “POSITA”) would have had: at least a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science, and two years of experience in the field consumer electronics, with exposure to digital camera technology and wireless communications. Superior education could compensate for a deficiency in work experience, and vice-versa. Pet. 6–7 (citations omitted) (citing Ex. 1030 (Lett Decl.) ¶¶ 94–95). Patent Owner does not provide an explicit definition of a POSITA. See generally Prelim. Resp. Because Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art appears to be consistent with the cited prior art and is undisputed on this record, we adopt it for purposes of this Decision. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (indicating that the prior art itself may reflect an appropriate skill level).” slip op. at 18
Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosureDiscretionary denialcites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,234,121 - Syngenta Crop Protection AG v. Upl Ltd.All claims unpatentablePTAB · Jul 26, 2024 · PGR2023-00017 · APJ Zhenyu Yang · PGR · Final written decision
Claims 1–10 are unpatentable: claims 1, 3–5, 7, 9, and 10 are anticipated by Godoy; claims 1–10 are anticipated by Tobler; other grounds were not reached.
RulingsFinal written decision- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedDecided for petitioner
“record (Ex. 1022, Attachments 5, 6) and the ResearchGate page (id., Attachments 7–10), to further support her opinion that the Godoy report was publicly available before November 4, 2016. Id. ¶¶ 31–38, 42–48. She testifies that “ResearchGate contains many search features which would allow an interested POSA to find the Godoy report, e.g., key word searching.” Id. ¶ 48. Dr. Jacobsen, who has personally used the service, agrees that in ResearchGate, “you can start to search for publications using keywords and things like that, authors.” Ex. 1043, 66:1–67:10. For these reasons, we again find Dr. Hall-Ellis’s testimony credible.” slip op. at 32
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication establishedDecided for petitioner
“record (Ex. 1022, Attachments 5, 6) and the ResearchGate page (id., Attachments 7–10), to further support her opinion that the Godoy report was publicly available before November 4, 2016. Id. ¶¶ 31–38, 42–48. She testifies that “ResearchGate contains many search features which would allow an interested POSA to find the Godoy report, e.g., key word searching.” Id. ¶ 48. Dr. Jacobsen, who has personally used the service, agrees that in ResearchGate, “you can start to search for publications using keywords and things like that, authors.” Ex. 1043, 66:1–67:10. For these reasons, we again find Dr. Hall-Ellis’s testimony credible.” slip op. at 32
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable
“several lists, Petitioner has met its burden in showing that an ordinarily skilled artisan would at once envisage the fungicidal combination of claim 1 from its disclosure. Accordingly, Tobler anticipates claim 1. We address Patent Owner’s arguments below.” slip op. at 44
- Obviousness (§103) › Graham factors (scope of art, differences, level of skill)Not reached
“28 Because Petitioner has shown that asserted prior art references anticipate claims 1 and 3–10, we do not address whether these claims would have been obvious over De Oliveira, either alone or in view of Wiglesworth, Tobler, and Godoy. 29 Having determined that Petitioner has shown all challenged claims are unpatentable under other grounds, we do not address this obvious ground. See SAS Inst. Inc. v. Iancu, 138 S. Ct. 1348, 1359 (2018) (holding a petitioner “is entitled to a final written decision addressing all of the claims it has challenged”); Bos. Sci. Scimed, Inc. v. Cook Grp. Inc., 809 F. App’x 984, 990 (Fed. Cir. 2020) (recognizing that the “Board need not address issues that are not necessary to the resolution of the proceeding” and, thus, agreeing that the Board has “discretion to decline to decide additional instituted grounds once the petitioner has prevailed on all its challenged claims”).” slip op. at 81
Patent outcomesUS 11,445,727 unpatentable§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosurecites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,445,727 - PTAB · Jul 22, 2024 · IPR2024-00278 · APJ Michael A Valek · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted inter partes review of claims 1, 4–6, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15–17 on all grounds presented in the Petition.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“Considering the arguments and evidence of record, we determine that the Petition demonstrates “a reasonable likelihood that [P]etitioner would prevail with respect to at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition.” 35 U.S.C. § 314(a). Accordingly, we institute an inter partes review.” slip op. at 2
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“B. Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art Petitioner contends a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”) would have had (1) a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or at least a bachelor of science degree in engineering or a related discipline and (2) at least three years of experience in the clinical use, design, development, and/or testing of medical devices, including medical devices that deliver energy to tissue. Pet. 19–20 (citing Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 24–28). Patent Owner does not respond to Petitioner’s description of a POSITA in its Preliminary Response. At this stage, we find Petitioner’s description of the level of ordinary skill in the art to be sufficiently supported by the record and apply it for purposes of this decision.” slip op. at 8
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“Petitioner contends “the Board need not construe any terms because the Challenged Claims are invalid under any reasonable interpretation.” Pet. 20. At this stage, Patent Owner does not respond to this contention, nor propose any express claim construction of its own. For this decision, and given that neither party seeks any express claim construction, we determine that no express claim construction is necessary. To the extent our consideration of Petitioner’s grounds touches on any implicit issues of claim construction, those are addressed in our analysis below.” slip op. at 9
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundInstituted
“several reasons. First, Petitioner’s reasoning for combining Edwards-535 and Stern is supported by testimony from Dr. Martin who identifies multiple, specific reasons for the combination. Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 103–122, 129–148. This testimony is not conclusory and is supported with numerous citations to other evidence of record. Id. Patent Owner does not offer any countervailing testimony with its Preliminary Response, electing instead to rely on attorney argument at this stage. Second, Patent Owner’s assertions that Petitioner’s reasoning is insufficient because Stern describes treating the endometrium and ablating different tissue, i.e., surface versus underlying tissue, are undermined by Edwards-535’s citation to Baker. As Petitioner points out, “Edwards-’535 points a POSITA” to, and incorporates teachings from, Baker. Pet. 47. This is true even though Baker, like Stern, is largely focused on treating the uterus and describes preferred embodiments for delivering RF energy to the endometrium. See, e.g., Ex. 1011, Abstr., 3:5–9, 5:50–65. Moreover, Petitioner offers evidence to show that Baker and Stern depict similar devices, including the figure from Dr. Martin’s declaration reproduced below. See Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 117–119, 144–147. Dr. Martin’s figure above is a side-by-side comparison of Figure 8 of Baker and Figure 4a of Stern, depicting devices that, at least on their face, appear to share a similar shape and configuration. See id. ¶¶ 119, 146 (testifying that the comparison above shows “Baker and Stern both depict very similar devices”). At this stage, Patent Owner does not dispute that Petitioner’s comparison is apt, nor otherwise address Petitioner’s reliance on Baker as evidence of a motivation to combine Stern. Thus, on the current record, we agree with Petitioner that Edwards-535’s express citation to Baker suggests that a POSITA would have been motivated to combine the similar teachings Petitioner identifies in Stern. Third, Stern also contradicts Patent Owner’s assertion that a POSITA would have considered its teachings to be inapplicable to treating the nasal concha as taught in Edwards-535. While Stern is primarily concerned with endometrial ablation applications, that does not mean its teachings are limited to such. Indeed, Stern explains that its “electrode partitioning structure” may be used to treat “other body organs or tissues either externally or internally” and that its “principles with respect to the delivery of controlled RF energy” can be applied “not only for controlled destruction of tissue but also for controlled heat treatment of tissue.” Id. Such teachings further support the testimony of Dr. Martin that “[a] POSITA would have known that technology from ablation devices for one part of the body would be applicable to devices used in other areas of the body.” Pet. 41 (citing Ex. 1002 ¶ 117–121; Ex. 1033, 18:27–40). We also disagree with Patent Owner’s argument that “Edwards-535 and Stern are so in conflict with one another that they rise to the level of teaching away.” Prelim. Resp. 21. A teaching away requires that the reference “criticize, discredit, or otherwise discourage the solution claimed.” In re Fulton, 391 F.3d 1195, 1201 (Fed. Cir. 2004). But Patent Owner has not shown that any of the references cited here discourage the articulated combination of Stern’s electrode configuration, i.e., multiple pairs of bipolar electrodes connected to separate radiofrequency output channels, with Edwards-535’s device. To the contrary, Stern expressly states that its “electrode partitioning structure” can be used for other applications (see Ex. 1033, 18:27–40), which on the current record would seem to include Edwards-535’s device for ablating nasal tissue.” slip op. at 22
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,033,318 - Dental Recycling North America, Inc. v. Solmetex, LLCInstitution deniedPTAB · Mar 19, 2024 · PGR2023-00055 · APJ Michael A Valek · PGR · Institution
The Board denied institution because Petitioner did not show it was more likely than not that any challenged claim was unpatentable under the asserted grounds.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)Institution denied meritsInstitution denied
“Institution of post-grant review is authorized only when “the information presented in the petition . . . demonstrate[s] that it is more likely than not that at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition is unpatentable.” 35 U.S.C. § 324; 37 C.F.R. § 42.4. Upon considering the present record, we determine that Petitioner has not satisfied its burden to show that it is more likely than not that any of the challenged claims are unpatentable.” slip op. at 2
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“Relying on the testimony of its declarant, Petitioner contends a person of ordinary skill (“POSA”) “would have been an individual with at least a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, or at least 3 years of experience designing or manufacturing vacuums, filters, medical devices, or the related components.” Pet. 22 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 94–95). Patent Owner does not respond to Petitioner’s contention in its Preliminary Response, but asks its declarant to apply Petitioner’s proposed level of skill in the art in his analysis. See Ex. 2001 ¶ 86. Because Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art appears to be consistent with the cited prior art and is undisputed on this record, we adopt it for purposes of this decision. C. Claim Construction” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededNot reached
“Petitioner contends that “[a]ll terms of the ’175 patent should be given their plain and ordinary meaning as understood by a POSA,” but does not propose any express claim construction for consideration. See Pet. 22–23. Petitioner further asserts that the preambles of the independent claims are limiting. Id. at 23–25. Patent Owner argues “that claim construction is not necessary at this time,” but urges that “in the event the Board determines that claim construction is necessary, Petitioner’s proposal to construe the preambles of the independent claims as limiting should be rejected.” Prelim. Resp. 65. We need not determine whether the preambles of the independent claims are limiting to reach the outcome in this decision. Accordingly, no express claim construction is necessary here. See 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. Grounds 1–4 and Petitioner’s Related Priority Challenge” slip op. at 11
- Disclosure Requirements (§112) › Written description (Ariad)Entitled to earlier dateNot shown unpatentable
“Based on the record before us, Patent Owner has the better position. It is well settled that the original drawings may themselves be sufficient to provide description for later-filed claims. Vas-Cath, 935 F.2d at 1565 (holding that “drawings alone may provide a ‘written description’ of an invention as required by § 112”). That is the case here with respect to the original figures submitted with the Great-Grandparent application. We agree with Patent Owner and Dr. Garris that original Figures 4A–B and 5B show a flange or “radially protruding structure” configured as in the challenged claims. Ex. 2001 ¶¶ 106–113. Moreover, the original description in the Great-Grandparent application describes “removable retaining pins 13” that “ensure the recycling container,” i.e., container 12 in Figures 4A–B, “does not detach from the air-water separation tank 5 when there is no vacuum in the system.” Ex. 1002, 213 (¶ 92). Based on this description and the depiction of retaining pin 13 in the original Figure 2, a POSA would have understood that the pins engage with the radially protruding structure to hold the container in place as recited in the challenged claims. Ex. 2001 ¶ 114. Petitioner’s argument that the original figures do not depict the radially protruding structure and retaining pins working together to hold the container in place is unpersuasive. Patent Owner has sufficiently demonstrated that a POSA would have understood how the structures in original Figures 2 and 4A interact based on a side-by-side comparison of the same. See Pet. 38–43; Ex. 2001 ¶ 114. Indeed, the applicants made a similar comparison during prosecution, which proved persuasive to the Examiner. Ex. 1002, 87, 98. The Petition provides no reason to doubt that a POSA would understand the original figures and description just as Patent Owner contends. Moreover, contrary to Petitioner’s arguments, the fact that the specification and drawings were amended does not mean that Patent Owner had to add new matter to overcome the Examiner’s rejections. See Pet. 16– 17. In this case, the amendments to the specification during prosecution of the ’175 patent made the operation of the retaining pin and radially protruding structure, as shown by the original figures, even clearer. But that does not mean that the original description was inadequate.” slip op. at 18
Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosurePatents in suitUS 11,660,175 - Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Gilead Sciences, Inc.Institution deniedPTAB · Feb 21, 2024 · PGR2023-00046 · APJ Susan L C Mitchell · PGR · Institution
The Board denied institution because Atea did not show claim 1 was more likely than not unpatentable for lack of written description, lack of enablement, or anticipation.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)Institution denied meritsInstitution denied
“Institution of post-grant review is authorized by statute only when “the information presented in the petition . . . demonstrate[s] that it is more likely than not that at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition is unpatentable.” 35 U.S.C. § 324; see 37 C.F.R. § 42.4. Upon considering the Petition, Preliminary Response, and the cited evidence, we conclude that Petitioner has not satisfied its burden under 35 U.S.C. § 324 to show that it is more likely than not that claim 1 is unpatentable.” slip op. at 2
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“The major differences between Petitioner’s and Patent Owner’s definitions of a skilled artisan include the number of years of drug discovery experience that is necessary and the breadth of the fields of endeavor with which a POSA should be familiar. We agree with Patent Owner that a POSA includes a team of skilled artisans with skill sets in the various aspects of drug development, but determine that Petitioner has addressed those necessary skill sets in its definition. We also determine on this record that Petitioner has assessed adequately the level of experience needed, and do not agree with Patent Owner that greater years of experience are necessary for a POSA in this instance. See KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 421 (2007) (“A person of ordinary skill in the art is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automaton.”). Because Petitioner’s definition of a person of skill in the art appears commensurate with the level of skill reflected in the asserted art in this case as well as the ’361 patent itself, we apply Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art to determine whether it is more likely than not that Petitioner would prevail on its challenges to claim 1. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (stating prior art itself can reflect the appropriate level of ordinary skill in the art).” slip op. at 10
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededNot reached
“C. Claim Construction We construe claims “using the same claim construction standard that would be used to construe the claim in a civil action under 35 U.S.C. [§] 282(b).” 37 C.F.R. § 42.200. Therefore, we construe the challenged claims under the framework set forth in Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–19 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). Under this framework, claim terms are given their ordinary and customary meaning, as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, in light of the language of the claims, the specification, and the prosecution history of record. Id. Only those terms that are in controversy need be construed, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy. See Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co., Matal, 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)). Both parties agree that we need not construe any claim terms here to resolve the issues in this proceeding. See Pet. 16; Prelim. Resp. 18–19. We agree with the parties that we need not construe any claim terms in this proceeding to resolve whether to institute a post-grant review.” slip op. at 11
- BurdenNot shown unpatentable
“In applying the rubric set forth in Ariad to determine whether claim 1 has appropriate written description support, we can look for structural features common to the members of the subgenus of claim 1 so that one of skill in the art can “visualize or recognize” the members of the subgenus. See Ariad, 598 F.3d at 1350. To do this, we look “for blaze marks within the disclosure that guide attention to the claimed species or subgenus.” See Regents of the Univ. of Minn., 61 F.4th at 1356. In this regard, the fourteenth aspect of the third embodiment is the blaze mark that points to the subgenus of claim 1. We do not need to find blaze marks that identify the fourteenth aspect of the third embodiment as the only formula of merit or the only one that should be claimed. Rather, we look to the written description to see if it describes sufficient structural features common to the members of the subgenus of claim 1 such that a POSA can visualize or recognize the members of that subgenus, thereby demonstrating that the inventors possessed the subject matter of the claim at the time they filed their application.” slip op. at 20
Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 112 disclosurecites KSRPatents in suitUS 11,642,361 - Wuhan Healthgen Biotechnology Corp. v. Ventria Bioscience Inc.Institution deniedPTAB · Oct 2, 2023 · IPR2023-00684 · APJ Michael A Valek · IPR · Institution
The Board denied institution because the Petition did not show a reasonable likelihood that claims 1–29 were unpatentable, failing to establish the required endotoxin limitation.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)Institution denied meritsInstitution denied
“For these reasons, we find that Petitioner has not met its burden with respect to the endotoxin limitation. Because that limitation is required by all of the challenged claims, Petitioner has not met its burden for any of the challenged claims.” slip op. at 18
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentable
“Petitioner relies upon for its asserted combination of references. The rHSA exemplified in Hatsuyama’s Reference Example 1 and described in Table 1 is produced in and purified from yeast according to methods described in other publications not cited or relied upon in the Petition. Ex. 1004 ¶ 69. The Petition does not address those methodologies or suggest that it would have been obvious to employ them in combination with Deeter. Rather, Petitioner alleges that it would have been obvious to substitute the yeast-derived rHSA exemplified in Hatsuyama with Deeter’s rHSA, which is produced in rice and purified according to a different process. See Ex. 1005 ¶¶ 116–117. Petitioner has not demonstrated that a POSA would have understood Deeter’s rice-derived rHSA to have the same properties as the yeast-derived rHSA in Hatsuyama’s Table 1. Indeed, the data in the Specification of the ’389 patent shows that Deeter’s rHSA had substantially higher levels of endotoxin than the rHSA in Hatsuyama’s Table 1. Compare Ex. 1001, Fig. 10C (showing greater than 20 EU endotoxin levels in old (B000) process) with Ex. 1004, Table 1 (less than 0.5 EU); see also Ex. 2010 ¶¶ 4–8.” slip op. at 15
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › §325(d) same art / argumentsNot reached
“likelihood of establishing that any of the challenged claims are unpatentable on any of the grounds in the Petition. Accordingly, institution of inter partes review is denied. Because we determine that Petitioner has not met the burden for institution on the merits, we do not reach Patent Owner’s arguments for discretionary denial under 35 U.S.C. § 325(d).” slip op. at 18
§ 103 obviousnessDiscretionary denialcites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,492,389 - PTAB · Sep 13, 2023 · IPR2023-00589 · APJ Timothy G Majors · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted IPR on claims 1–3 and 5 on all four §103 grounds, finding a reasonable likelihood that at least one challenged claim would be unpatentable.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“The weight of the evidence at this stage, therefore, favors Petitioner’s position that modifying the weight ratio of hydrogenated jojoba oil in the feedstock to an amount within the scope of the claims would have been obvious as a matter of routine experimentation. Based on the preliminary record, we find that Petitioner has shown a reasonable likelihood that it will prevail in establishing that the prior art teaches or suggests limitation [1a].” slip op. at 21
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“Petitioner proposes that the person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSA”) would have had “at least a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field, and three years[’] work experience working in the specialty chemicals industry . . . although more education or skill might make up for less experience and vice-versa.” Pet. 9 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 30– 32). Patent Owner proposes essentially the same description of the POSA’s qualifications, and adds that the “specialty chemicals industry” includes “the beauty, personal care, home care, food, or environmental chemical industries.” Prelim. Resp. 7. For purposes of this decision, we apply Petitioner’s POSA definition with Patent Owner’s further elaboration to that definition. On this record, this POSA definition appears consistent with the skill level reflected in the prior art.” slip op. at 8
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Plain and ordinary meaningOther
“understood by the POSA. Pet. 9–10. Petitioner does not identify any claim terms for which it is seeking a further express claim construction. Id. Patent Owner cites the district court’s claim construction order (Ex. 2006, 1) but, like Petitioner, does not identify any terms for which it is seeking an express claim construction. Prelim. Resp. 8 (“Given the arguments before the Board at this time, it is not currently necessary to resolve the issues related to claim construction.”). We have considered the court’s claim construction order. Ex. 2006, 1. However, it is not apparent at this time and on the current record that additional interpretation of the claims will be needed to resolve the controversy before us. See Realtime Data, 912 F.3d at 1375. Thus, for purposes of this decision, we apply the plain and ordinary meaning of the claims as written.” slip op. at 9
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundInstituted
“rationale for why a POSA “would have been motivated to use Sessa’s calibration set of jojoba wax ester blends in preparing a feedstock for the preparation of the jojoba esters described in Cummings.” Prelim. Resp. 33– 34. On the current record, we disagree. Patent Owner queries why the POSA would have considered Sessa’s calibration sets, but never grapples persuasively with Petitioner’s assertion that Sessa evidences that the selection of various ratios—including ratios squarely within the scope of 13 Regarding Patent Owner’s argument that Petitioner’s estimates rely on an assumption that all ester products are fully saturated or fully unsaturated and that the ratios remain unchanged (Prelim. Resp. 31–32), we do not entirely follow Patent Owner’s argument. We understand that, in general, Petitioner is using IV as a measure of the double bonds in the final product and, conversely, in the feedstock. Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 101–102 (Rockstraw testimony that the amount of iodine directly correlates to the average number of double bonds and that the number of double bonds remains “constant,” not changing due to transesterification). It would seem that double bonds in the final product would contribute to IV, whether the double bonds appear in monounsaturated or fully unsaturated jojoba esters. If the feedstock comprises unsaturated jojoba oil and fully saturated jojoba oil, it would, thus, seem that the source of the double bonds in the products was the unsaturated oil portion of the feedstock. As appropriate, the parties may consider developing further argument and evidence on this point at trial. experimentation (see Pet. 32–33). Id. Cummings discloses that interesterification involves the reaction of “different ratios” of jojoba oil and fully saturated jojoba oil but does not specify specific ratios to choose. Ex. 1004, 2 (suggesting that the ratios used for starting materials allows for the ratios of saturated, unsaturated, and monounsaturated esters in the jojoba ester products to be engineered for the characteristics desired). Sessa describes a series of blends (including 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) that were examined and compared to the thermal characteristics of cocoa butter. Ex. 1009, 295–296. Sessa, thus, evidences that proportional blends of jojoba wax ester (oil) and hydrogenated jojoba wax ester (oil) within the scope of claim 1 were known and subject to routine experimental inquiry and testing. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456 (CCPA 1955) (“[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.”); Genentech, Inc. v. Hospira, Inc., 946 F.3d 1333, 1341–42 (Fed. Cir. 2020) (same, citing In re Aller). And Sessa’s and Cummings’s teachings do not stand alone. Petitioner cites other evidence probative of “POSA’s background knowledge,” such as Otero14 and Haumann15 that recognized that properties of transesterified products are based on the amounts of the starting reagents chosen. Pet. 34– 35; Ex. 1013, 878 (disclosing that “[t]he properties of the [transesterified] 14 Otero et al., Continuous Enzymatic Transesterification of Sesame Oil and a Fully Hydrogenated Fat: Effects of Reaction Conditions on Product Characteristics, 94 Biotech & Bioeng’g 877 (2006) (Ex. 1013). 15 Barbara Fitch Haumann, Tools: hydrogenation, interesterification, 5 Inform 668 (June 1994) (Ex. 1012). precursor reagents [and] their respective proportions in the starting mixture”); Ex. 1012, 675 (teaching that “melting and solidification properties [of the product] ultimately depends on the type and mixture of the starting materials”); see also Ex. 1007, 4:49–51 (teaching that “the properties of the [transesterified] emollient depend upon the relative amounts of IIn [(unsaturated jojoba wax esters)] and III[n] [(fully saturated jojoba wax esters)]”); Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 111–112 (testifying that “manipulating the ratio of the reacting fats and oils in a feedstock would have been within the background knowledge possessed by a [POSA] as such concepts are fundamental to the topic of chemical reaction engineering”); see also id. ¶¶ 42–44 (testifying no “criticality” for 20–50% range noted in the patent). The weight of the evidence at this stage, therefore, favors Petitioner’s” slip op. at 19
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessDiscretionary denialcites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,248,245 - Osteomed LLC v. Stryker European Operations Holdings LLCAll claims unpatentablePTAB · Aug 8, 2023 · IPR2022-00488 · APJ Susan L C Mitchell · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–3 and 6–18 are unpatentable as obvious over Arnould and Zahiri, with claim 6 also relying on Myerson; the Board did not reach Grounds 1–3.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level patent owner adoptedDecided for patent owner
“While both parties’ descriptions are similar, we find that Patent Owner’s description is better supported by the record. As Patent Owner points out, the main distinction between the parties’ proposals is that Patent Owner’s description is broader because it includes orthopedic surgeons. The record supports the inclusion of such individuals in the description of a POSITA. See Ex. 2005 ¶¶ 37, 41; Ex. 2009, 38:21–39:7 (Petitioner’s declarant testifying that he would “include an orthopedic surgeon that has some experience developing implants as a person of ordinary skill in the art”). Thus, we apply Patent Owner’s description of a POSITA for our analysis.” slip op. at 8
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Lexicography (patentee as own lexicographer)Term construed petitioner constructionDecided for petitioner
“That said, we do not agree with Patent Owner that the Specification defines “bone plate” as it contends. In the background of the invention, the Specification states that “[t]he invention relates to the technical field of orthopedic implants. More particularly, the invention relates to a plate for arthrodesis or osteosynthesis adapted to be fixed between two bone parts.” Ex. 1001, 1:27–31. Contrary to Patent Owner’s argument, this passage does not “define” the term “bone plate” nor otherwise suggest that the patentee acted as its own lexicographer. See Resp. 9. Moreover, nothing in the record suggests that the ordinary meaning of “bone plate” requires the plate to be fixed between two bone parts. The medical dictionaries Patent Owner cites do not include such a requirement in their definitions. See Ex. 2012, 1478 (defining “bone plate” as “a metal bar with perforations for the insertion of screws, used to immobilize fractured segments”); Ex. 2013, 241 (defining “bone plate” as “a metal plate used to reconstruct a bone that has been fractured” and “designed to hold the bone fragments in apposition”). Both of these definitions are consistent with Mr. Sherman’s testimony that a bone plate is “not always” placed across the fracture. See Ex. 2009, 52:9–53:1 (identifying particular instances in which a plate is not placed across the fracture). We credit that testimony over the competing testimony of Patent Owner’s declarant, Mr. Leinsing. Ex. 2005 ¶ 34 (referring to the statements from the Specification and dictionary definitions discussed above). For these reasons, we agree with Petitioner that the term “bone plate” as recited in the challenged claims has its ordinary meaning and that meaning does not exclude plates located on only one side of a joint or fracture.” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITAPlain and ordinary meaningDecided for petitioner
“We do not agree that the ordinary meaning of “between” is as restrictive as Patent Owner contends. First, Patent Owner’s definition of “between” does not require an object that is “between” two others to lie along the same axis defined by the two other objects. A “space separating two objects” is not so restrictive. Instead, a more expansive ordinary meaning of “between” is evidenced by the intrinsic evidence of the ’751 patent as Petitioner explained with reference to Figure 2 of the ’751 patent, which shows a third hole 1a1 between the other holes even though it is “offset” and in a different plane from the longitudinal axis of the bone plate. Patent Owner attempts to draw a distinction between Arnould’s Figure 2 and Figure 2 of the ’751 patent, by asserting “like Arnould, a hand is in a different plane and offset and its axis is not in relation to the body. In contrast, the angled tab shown in Figure 2 of the ’751 patent is not in a different plane and offset from the plate, and the hole axis forms an angle with the plate.” Sur-reply 8. Patent Owner’s distinction here appears to be whether the third hole lies at an angle below or above the bone plate as shown in Figure 2 of the ’751 patent (which would be “between” according to Patent Owner) versus also being positioned to either side of the bone plate as shown in Figure 2 of Arnould (which in Patent Owner’s view would mean that hole is no longer “between” the others). We see no basis for drawing such a fine distinction regarding the meaning of “between,” especially when the narrower definition Patent Owner seeks is not made explicit in the Specification of the ’751 patent. To the extent any further claim construction is necessary to resolve” slip op. at 16
- Obviousness (§103) › Analogous artAnalogous artDecided for petitioner
“contends. A reference is considered to be analogous art if it is in the “same field of endeavor” as the patent at issue. In re Bigio, 381 F.3d 1320, 1325 (Fed. Cir. 2004). Here, the Specification states that “[t]he invention relates to the technical field of orthopedic implants.” Ex. 1001, 1:27–28. Zahiri falls squarely within this field, describing “fixation devices for compressing bone fractures of a human being.” Ex. 1007, 1:9–11; see also, e.g., id. at Fig. 1 (depicting the use of Zahiri’s plate as an orthopedic implant to fix two bone parts). The differences Patent Owner identifies in Zahiri’s device do not show otherwise. In this regard, we find the testimony of Mr. Sherman (Ex. 1002 ¶ 245) on this point to be more credible than the competing testimony offered by Mr. Leinsing (see Ex. 2005 ¶¶ 121–29, 238). Mr. Sherman persuasively testifies that “Arnould and Zahiri disclose bone plates with diagonal fixation members configured to compress the intersection of a first and second bone,” demonstrating Arnould and Zahiri “are therefore in analogous fields of invention” to the ’751 patent. Ex. 1002 ¶ 245. Mr. Leinsing, on the other hand, continues to assert that Zahiri discloses only “a guide that directs a lag screw at a precise angle into a humeral head, not a bone plate” because it is located on only one side of the joint or fracture. Ex. 2005 ¶ 238. Therefore, Mr. Leinsing concludes that the “Zahiri device is directed to a completely different function than Arnould,” and is non-analogous art. Id. Because we find Zahiri discloses a “bone plate” according to the ordinary meaning of that term, Mr. Leinsing’s testimony is unconvincing. See supra § III.C.i (explaining that the ordinary meaning of “bone plate” does not exclude plates located on only one side of a joint or fracture). But even if we agreed with Patent Owner’s and Mr. Leinsing’s interpretation of bone plate, Zahiri’s plate is still an orthopedic implant and therefore analogous art because it is within the same field of endeavor as the ’751 patent.” slip op. at 34
Patent outcomesUS 10,993,751 unpatentableClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 10,993,751 - Syngenta Crop Protection AG v. Upl Ltd.InstitutedPTAB · Jul 31, 2023 · PGR2023-00017 · APJ Zhenyu Yang · PGR · Institution
Instituted PGR on claims 1–10 and all asserted grounds because the Board found it more likely than not that Tobler anticipates and renders obvious at least claim 1.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“We review the Petition under 35 U.S.C. § 324, which provides that a post-grant review may not be instituted unless “it is more likely than not that at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition is unpatentable.” 35 U.S.C. § 324(a). For the reasons provided below, we determine Petitioner has satisfied the threshold requirement set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 324(a). Accordingly, we institute a post-grant review of all challenged claims based on all grounds raised in the Petition. See SAS Inst., Inc. v. Iancu, 138 S. Ct. 1348, 1359–60 (2018); PTAB Consolidated Trial Practice Guide (“Practice Guide”),1 5–6 (Nov. 2019).” slip op. at 2
- Other 314aInstitution denied discretionary otherDenied
“We disagree. It is unclear which aspect of the Petition that Patent Owner takes issue with. If it is the “multitudinous grounds” presented in the Petition, Patent Owner points to no authority that permits us to deny institution merely because a petition presents numerous grounds. In any event, on the facts of this case, we do not view eight grounds asserted in the Petition to be excessive.6 To the extent Patent Owner urges that we should deny institution because Petitioner’s grounds are “futil[e],” we understand that to be an argument on the merits, and not related to our discretion. See Prelim. 6 The Petition presents five grounds. See generally Pet. We agree with Patent Owner, however, the ground based on Tobler, in fact, encompasses three grounds, and the ground based on De Oliveira, in fact, encompasses two grounds. See Prelim. Resp. 2. Resp. 45. As explained below, we find Petitioner has established that it is more likely than not that claims 1–10 of the ’727 patent are unpatentable over Tobler. See infra Section II.D.2. Because the grounds based on Tobler apply to all challenged claims,7 at least these grounds are not, as Patent Owner asserts, futile. Thus, we decline to exercise discretion to deny the Petition under § 324(a).” slip op. at 6
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › §325(d) same art / argumentsInstitution denied 325dDenied
“review, we “may take into account whether, and reject the petition or request because, the same or substantially the same prior art or arguments previously were presented to the Office.” Our § 325(d) analysis employs a two-prong framework: (1) whether the arguments presented in the petition are the same or substantially the same as those previously presented to the Office; and (2) if so, whether the petitioner has demonstrated a material error by the Office in its prior consideration of those arguments. Advanced Bionics, LLC v. 7 The cases Patent Owner cites do not support its argument on discretionary denial under § 324(a). See Prelim. Resp. 45–46. In those cases, the Board exercised discretion to deny institution because the petitions only met the threshold requirement for institution with regard to a small percentage of the challenged claims. See Chevron Oronite Co. LLC v. Infineum USA L.P., IPR2018-00923, Paper 9, 11 (PTAB Nov. 7, 2018) (stating “instituting a trial with respect to all twenty claims based on evidence and arguments directed to dependent claims 3 and 4 is not an efficient use of the Board’s time and resources”); Deeper, UAB v. Vexilar, Inc., IPR2018-01310, Paper 7, 2 (PTAB Jan. 24, 2019) (denying institution because the petitioner only “demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing with respect to only two of twenty-three challenged claims as to only one of four asserted grounds of unpatentability”). MED-EL Electromedizinishe Gerӓte GmbH, IPR2019-01469, Paper 6 (“Advanced Bionics”), 8 (PTAB Feb. 13, 2020) (precedential). The parties agree that, during prosecution, the relevant disclosure in Tobler was before the Examiner in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0216640, which was cited in an Information Disclosure Statement (“IDS”). Pet. 12; Prelim. Resp. 46. In other words, the first prong of the Advanced Bionics analysis is satisfied. Thus, we must determine whether Petitioner has shown a material error by the Office. We find Petitioner has met its burden on this issue.” slip op. at 7
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“The parties agree that, for purposes of this Decision, all claim terms should be given their plain and ordinary meaning. Pet. 18; Prelim. Resp. 13. Claim terms need only be construed to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy. Wellman, Inc. v. Eastman Chem. Co., 642 F.3d 1355, 1361 (Fed. Cir. 2011). On this record and for purposes of this Decision, we see no need to address the construction of any claim term.” slip op. at 9
Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosureDiscretionary denialcites PhillipsPatents in suitUS 11,445,727
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.