Judge Richard G. Andrews recently granted plaintiff St. Jude’s motion to dismiss defendant Volcano Corp.’s inequitable conduct counterclaim and affirmative defense. St. Jude Medical v. Volcano Corp., C.A. No. 12-441-RGA (D. Del. June 11, 2014). Volcano alleged that the named inventors on the patent-in-suit, as well as the prosecuting attorney, committed inequitable conduct by “providing an incomplete and misleading representation to the PTO regarding the capabilities of Volcano’s prior art WaveMap system.” Id. at 2. Specifically, Volcano asserted that the inventors knew, based on their familarity with certain documents, that the prior art system possessed a capability embodied in the patent-in-suit. Id. at 2-3. Volcano alleged that the inventors did not disclose these documents, which included owner’s manuals and brochures. Id. at 3. Volcano alleged that the prosecuting attorney was also aware of these documents and even submitted some of the documents during proseuction of a separate patent. Id.
As to the prosecuting attorney, Judge Andrews found that Volcano failed to plead adequate facts to allow the Court to “reasonably infer” that the attorney withheld documents with the specific intent to deceive the PTO. Id. As to the inventors, Judge Andrews found that Volcano failed to “sort out the specific facts and attribute them to a particular individual.” Id. at 4. Volcano was granted leave to amend, as to the inventors, and instructed to: (1) “individually identify whose actions constitute affirmative misconduct or were contrary to the duty of candor, and material to the issuance of the [patent in suit], on particular dates, with the intent to deceive the PTO”; and (2) “plead facts explaining why the omitted references are not cumulative of other prior art reviewed during prosecution[.]” Id.
St. Jude Medical v. Volcano Corp., C.A. No. 12-441-RGA (D. Del. June 11, 2014)
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