ST. PAUL, Minn., July 30, 2025 -- In a significant development in an ongoing legal dispute, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a final rejection of all claims in U.S. Patent No. 11,660,056 held by Rampart IC, LLC related to a radiation shielding device. The decision follows a request for reexamination by Egg Medical, Inc., which argued that Rampart's '056 patent covered technology that had already been invented—some examples dating as far back as the 1960s.
Egg Medical's reexamination request arose out of a lawsuit that Rampart filed in federal court in 2024, in which Rampart alleged that Egg Medical had infringed on its '056 patent. However, after the USPTO twice rejected all claims in the '056 patent, the federal judge overseeing the case stayed the proceedings pending the outcome of the reexamination. In July 2025, the USPTO issued a final rejection of all claims, citing multiple prior inventions—two of which were developed by Egg Medical.
"The remarkable part of this lawsuit is that Egg Medical never sold any product that fell within the scope of Rampart's now-rejected patent claims," said Robert F. Wilson, MD, CEO of Egg Medical. "Egg Medical respects prior intellectual property. The USPTO rejecting the claims in Rampart's asserted '056 patent validates what we have been saying all along."
Gavin Philipps, Chief Commercial Officer at Egg Medical, added, "The lawsuit was harmful to our company, as Rampart's sales team at times suggested to customers that we were infringing on their '056 patent—an assertion that was never true. We're pleased that the USPTO has thoroughly and repeatedly rejected all of Rampart's claims in that patent, and we're glad our customers now have clarity."
Rampart IC may still respond to the USPTO's final rejection or appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. After three rounds and a sweeping final rejection, however, Rampart's options are dwindling.
About Egg Medical
Egg Medical is a global leader in radiation protection, founded with the goal to reduce the radiation exposure of healthcare workers who use x-ray imaging to perform life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients. More information about Egg Medical is available at https://eggmedical.com.