World Class Tech. Corp. v. Ormco Corp., No. 13-1679 (Fed. Cir. 2014)
Annotate this CaseOrmco owns a patent, entitled “Self-Ligating Orthodontic Bracket,” that describes a bracket for orthodontic braces that avoids or reduces interference with the gums even when being mounted on a molar tooth. The bracket includes a slot to hold the archwire that connects (and exerts the desired corrective force on) the teeth, with a slide that moves across the slot opening to hold the wire in place. The specification notes that self-ligating brackets were already known in the art, but that the prior-art brackets did not work well for molars, explaining that when the slide opened to release the wire it would bump into the gums, causing discomfort. Ormco accused World Class Technology of infringing the patent. The district court construed two claim terms: “support surface” and “ledge.” In view of the court’s constructions, the parties stipulated to a judgment of non-infringement. The Federal Circuit affirmed, rejecting Ormco’s challenge to the district court’s construction of “support surface.”
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