Overview
We are an undisputed leader in medical device IP Law, having filed more than 40,000 patent applications in the medical device arts alone, helped hundreds of medical device companies get acquired or go public, and successfully litigated numerous medical device IP cases, several through trial and appeal.
We’ve been active in the medical device industry almost from its inception—providing leading-edge counsel and representation for the entire spectrum of clients, including “garage” inventors, start-up companies, venture capitalists, medical device incubators, and established, publicly-held corporations.
Our team of attorneys provides guidance in all stages of development through capital formation, transactional due diligence, patent landscape (market clearance) evaluations, strategic patent prosecution, licensing and other IP agreements, trade secrets, third party patent evaluations, IP audits and, when necessary, IP litigation.
Our experience in the medical device industry encompasses a wide range of technical specialties, some examples of which include aesthetics, cardiac rhythm management, cardiovascular, dental, diabetes, ENT, gastrointestinal, monitoring/imaging, neuromodulation, OB/GYN, ophthalmic, orthopedics/spine, prosthetics, peripheral vascular, pulmonology, and medical information technology applications.
Some of our attorneys serve or have served on the Boards of Directors of medical device companies, giving us an unparalleled perspective into the industry’s unique business issues and challenges.
Additionally, several of our attorneys have extensive engineering and R&D experience at medical device companies.
Co-Chairs
Representative Experience
Transactions and Licensing
Masimo Corporation
Knobbe Martens advised Masimo Corporation on intellectual property matters in connection with its definitive agreement to be acquired by Danaher, a global science and technology company. The firm provided IP diligence support for the $9.9 billion transaction, helping address complex patent and technology considerations critical to Masimo’s core diagnostics and monitoring businesses.
CathWorks
Knobbe Martens served as lead intellectual property counsel to CathWorks, a medical device company which aims to transform how coronary artery disease is diagnosed and treated, in its strategic partnership with Medtronic. This included advising CathWorks on Medtronic’s announced acquisition of the company in a deal valued at up to $585 million. These efforts positioned CathWorks’ AI‑enabled technology for worldwide expansion and culminated in a transformative transaction in the cardiovascular medical device space.
Vertos Medical, Inc.
Knobbe Martens advised Vertos Medical, Inc. on intellectual property matters in connection with its definitive agreement to be acquired by Stryker, a global medical technology company. The firm supported the transaction by addressing IP considerations related to Vertos Medical’s minimally invasive technology for treating chronic lower back pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis. This work helped facilitate a strategic acquisition that expands the reach of Vertos Medical’s technology within Stryker’s interventional pain management portfolio.
Signet Healthcare Partners
The firm advised Signet Healthcare Partners on intellectual property matters in connection with its lead investment in a Series B financing of Paragonix Technologies, an innovator in organ transplant technologies. Knobbe Martens provided IP support addressing patent and technology considerations central to Paragonix’s preservation and monitoring platforms. This work supported a growth investment that advances innovation and commercialization in the organ transplant and medical device sector.
Paragonix Technologies
Knobbe Martens served as intellectual property counsel to Paragonix Technologies in connection with its definitive agreement to be acquired by Getinge, a global healthcare company. The firm advised on IP matters critical to Paragonix’s organ transplant technologies, supporting a transaction designed to expand global access to innovative organ preservation and transportation solutions.
Kandu Health, Inc.
The firm advised Kandu Health, Inc. on intellectual property matters in connection with its merger with Neurolutions, Inc., forming a combined company focused on advancing stroke recovery solutions. Knobbe Martens addressed IP considerations related to the integration of medical device technology and digital health platforms. This work helped enable the creation of a new company positioned to deliver innovative, home‑based stroke rehabilitation technologies at scale.
HealthpointCapital
Knobbe Martens advised HealthpointCapital on intellectual property matters in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in SteriCUBE Holdings, Inc., a developer of innovative sterilization technologies for surgical instruments. The firm supported the transaction by addressing IP considerations related to SteriCUBE’s patented systems used in orthopedic and cardiac procedures. This helped facilitate a strategic investment aimed at expanding adoption of environmentally sustainable and workflow enhancing sterilization solutions in healthcare settings.
Conformal Medical, Inc.
The firm advised Conformal Medical, Inc., an innovative medical device company, on the intellectual property aspects of its acquisition by W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., supporting a transaction that advances next-generation innovation in cardiovascular care.
Litigation
Applied Medical Resources Corp. v. Medtronic, Inc., 8:23-cv-00268-WLH-DFM
Knobbe Martens obtained a decisive win for medical device manufacturer Applied Medical against Medtronic, Inc. in an antitrust case involving anticompetitive bundling and exclusive dealing that Applied alleged penalized hospitals for adopting competitive technologies. Applied Medical alleged that Medtronic monopolized the market for advanced bipolar devices, which are surgical devices that seal blood vessels during surgery. Following a nearly three-week trial, a jury returned a verdict awarding more than $381 million in damages to Applied Medical. This verdict marks a major step toward promoting innovation and lowering costs across the healthcare market.
Masimo Corporation et al. v. Apple Inc., No. 8:20-cv-00048 (C.D. Cal.)
Knobbe Martens represented Masimo Corporation in a high stakes patent infringement action against Apple involving heart monitoring technology. Following an eight-day jury trial, the jury found infringement on all asserted claims and awarded Masimo more than $634 million in damages. This verdict represented one of the largest patent infringement awards of 2025 and a significant enforcement of medical device intellectual property rights.
Aortic Innovations LLC v. Edwards Lifesciences Corp., No. 2024‑1145
Knobbe Martens represented Edwards Lifesciences in a high‑stakes patent infringement dispute involving prosthetic heart valve technology. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a judgment of non‑infringement in a precedential decision, rejecting the patent owner’s appeal and confirming favorable claim construction. This appellate victory preserved Edwards Lifesciences’ patent landscape in the transcatheter aortic valve replacement market and reinforced key defenses for medical device innovators.
In re Certain Light‑Based Physiological Measurement Devices and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337‑TA‑1276 (U.S. Int’l Trade Comm’n)
Knobbe Martens represented Masimo Corporation in a Section 337 investigation against Apple involving Apple Watch models that incorporated blood oxygen monitoring technology. The U.S. International Trade Commission found that certain Apple Watch models infringed Masimo patents and issued a limited exclusion order barring importation of the infringing devices, a remedy later reinstated after denial of Apple’s request for a stay. This result reshaped the patent landscape for consumer health wearables and stands as one of the most consequential ITC enforcement actions involving medical technology.
Wrist SP BioTech, LLC v. Masimo Corp., No. 8:23 cv 02475 MCS DFM (C.D. Cal.)
Knobbe Martens represented Masimo Corporation in a patent infringement action brought by a non‑practicing entity involving pulse oximetry technology. After securing transfer of the case to the Central District of California and developing Masimo’s defenses, the firm obtained a dismissal with prejudice with no payment by Masimo. This result eliminated asserted patent claims against widely used medical devices and reinforced Masimo’s patent landscape.
