IRVINE, Calif., October 29, 2025 – Knobbe Martens is pleased to announce the firm has obtained a significant appellate victory for Edwards Lifesciences in a high-stakes patent infringement dispute involving prosthetic heart valve technology.
On October 27, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a precedential opinion affirming a judgment of non-infringement in favor of Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) systems.
Knobbe Martens had previously obtained a favorable claim construction ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, after which the parties stipulated to judgment of non-infringement. In parallel proceedings, the Knobbe Martens team also prevailed before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, successfully invalidating several related patents.
The patent owner, Aortic Innovations, appealed, challenging the district court’s claim construction of a key term. The Federal Circuit rejected Aortic’s arguments, affirming the district court’s construction and its conclusion that Aortic had acted as its own “lexicographer” in defining the disputed claim element and confirming non-infringement.
The appellate court also dismissed the appeal as to one of the four asserted patents for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, after the Patent Office had previously cancelled all asserted claims in that patent through an inter partes review initiated by Knobbe Martens.
The Knobbe Martens team was led by Christy Lea and included Joshua Stowell and Brian Barnes. Ms. Lea and Mr. Stowell co-chair the firm’s Medical Device Litigation practice.
This victory, which included an award of costs to Edwards, highlights Knobbe Martens’ unparalleled experience in medical device patent litigation and appeals, and its commitment to protecting innovation in life-saving technologies.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is a highly respected intellectual property law firm, offering legal services in all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. The firm’s litigation group handles cases throughout the U.S. and coordinates strategy for disputes worldwide. Founded in California in 1962, the firm has about 300 lawyers and scientists based in offices located in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Knobbe Martens serves a diverse international client base, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
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