Kathi Vidal, the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), has directed a panel from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to review its choice of not inspecting a patent for diagnosing sleep disorders. This decision was made after criticisms were levelled against the panel’s reliance on conclusions from a ruling that has since been vacated.
As Director of the USPTO, Vidal is responsible for providing policy direction and administrative guidance to an agency tasked with encouraging technological advancement by offering inventors exclusive rights to their creations. The PTAB, on the other hand, aims to improve patent quality through administrative patent trials which include the review of challenged patents.
Legal professionals and patent holders would be eager to see the reevaluation process and the subsequent decision, as it could set important precedents for future rulings by the PTAB. Navigate here for the in-depth analysis.