Breathing apparatus expert
for patent litigation

The need

Attorneys at an AmLaw 100 firm representing a well-known medical device company needed a testifying expert in respiratory-support equipment to help defend against claims of patent infringement involving a series of patents for components in a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.

Our approach

The optimal expert needed an advanced degree in mechanical engineering with a specialty in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, more specifically, with air-flow management. Ideally, the expert would have experience with air flow through small cavities or tubes and with measuring flow, pressure, and humidification. Prior experience in medical device design, in particular experience designing nasal cannula devices or sleep apnea machines, was a priority in our search. In addition, the priority dates of the patents required that the expert was active in the field during a specific time frame.

The expert

We identified an expert with a PhD in mechanical engineering and relevant experience in both academia and industry. His background includes decades of experience with medical device design and development, and he formerly worked for a company that makes respiratory medical devices to treat sleep apnea. His research experience includes more than 150 publications in journals such as Applied Thermal Engineering, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer; Journal of Medical Devices, and Sensors and Transducers. In addition, the expert has significant expert witness experience on patent litigation matters, including testimony; and he holds multiple US patents.