3Shape Files U.S. Patent Infringement Complaint Against Align Technology

3Shape A/S has filed a patent infringement complaint asserting that Align Technology’s ITero Elements intraoral scanner infringes 3Shape Patent No. US 9,962,244 B2: Focus Scanning Apparatus Recording Color.
 
3Shape filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware alleging patent infringement by Align’s iTero Elements intraoral scanner. The district court complaint seeks monetary damages and injunctive relief against further infringement.
 
“3Shape TRIOS has been named the best intraoral scanner by the industry for five years in a row,1 and the most accurate in an independent ADA study.2 We invest heavily in our innovative technologies and over a third of our employees work in R&D functions. 3Shape’s intraoral color capture technologies are unique and fundamental to the TRIOS scanner’s overall design and high ratings among doctors,” said Tais Clausen, 3Shape co-founder and co-CEO. “Therefore, we cannot allow competitors to copy our hard-earned technology breakthroughs or infringe our patents. Normally, because we believe in cooperation and openness, we would try to settle this directly and quietly with Align. However, recent events and aggressive actions by Align, not only towards 3Shape but also actions affecting doctors using TRIOS with Invisalign, compel us to vigorously defend our intellectual property by filing this complaint in the federal district court.”

3Shape develops innovations that provide superior dental care for patients. Its portfolio of 3D scanners and CAD/CAM software solutions for the dental industry includes the 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanner, the upcoming 3Shape X1 CBCT scanner, as well asscanning and design software solutions for dental labs.
 
Two graduate students founded 3Shape in Denmark’s capital in 2000. Today, 3Shape has more than 1,400 employees serving customers in over 100 countries from a number of 3Shape offices around the world.
 
References
1. http://www.cellerantconsulting.com/index.asp?N=dental-consulting-Best-of-Class-2017&C=772&P=25576
2. https://newdentistblog.ada.org/ada-professional-product-review-looks-at-accuracy-of-six-intraoral-scanning-devices/