PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding, PGR2025-00054, has been filed against US patent 12156781. This proceeding is currently in the "Trial Instituted" phase, meaning the patent's claims are under review by the PTAB. As no final decision has been issued, the patent's validity has not yet been definitively challenged at the claim level. This gives a defendant facing assertion of this patent an active avenue to challenge the patent's claims, but no claims have been canceled or sustained through PTAB final written decisions at this time.

PGR2025-00054 — Straumann USA, LLC et al. v. Smart Denture Conversions LLC

• Type: Post-Grant Review (PGR)
• Filed: 2025-06-04
• Status: Trial Instituted — The PTAB has decided to proceed with a full review of the challenged claims. A Final Written Decision is pending.
• Judge panel: Eric Christian Jeschke, Michael John Fitzpatrick, Ryan H. Flax
• Petition grounds: The petition challenges claims of US12156781B1. The specific prior art and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the challenge were not fully detailed in the provided search results but are the subject of the ongoing review. Smart Denture Conversions, LLC has cited that Straumann's affiliate designed, publicly disclosed, and launched the accused NeoConvert system before the '781 patent issued, which is relevant to the PGR petition.
• Institution decision: Instituted on 2025-12-10. The PTAB decided to institute trial on the petition filed by Straumann USA, LLC. Patent Owner Smart Denture Conversions, LLC had previously requested discretionary denial of institution, citing Fintiv factors, but this request was apparently not granted for the '781 patent as the trial was instituted.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued. Final written decisions in PGRs instituted around this time are expected between June and November 2026.
• Settlement / termination: No settlement or termination has been reported; the trial is ongoing.
• Appeal: Not applicable as no Final Written Decision has been issued yet.
• Defensive value: The institution of this PGR means that the patent's claims are actively being challenged before the PTAB. While no claims have been invalidated yet, a defendant facing assertion now has the benefit of an ongoing validity challenge that could result in the cancellation of claims. Monitoring this proceeding is crucial as the outcome will directly impact the patent's strength.

Strategic summary

US patent 12156781 currently has one active Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding, PGR2025-00054, filed by Straumann USA, LLC. This proceeding was instituted on 2025-12-10 and is ongoing, with a Final Written Decision anticipated between June and November 2026. As the trial is instituted but no Final Written Decision has been rendered, all claims of US12156781 are currently considered untested by a final PTAB decision, though their validity is actively being challenged.

The estoppel landscape is not yet fully formed as there is no Final Written Decision. However, if Straumann USA, LLC (or its privies) were to receive an adverse FWD on any challenged claim, they would be estopped from raising those same invalidity grounds, or any grounds they reasonably could have raised, in future district court litigation or other PTAB proceedings. Conversely, if claims are invalidated, the patent owner would be estopped from asserting those claims. The fact that Straumann USA, LLC also filed IPR2025-00956 against a related patent (US11,937,992) by Smart Denture Conversions, LLC suggests a pattern of active defense against assertions by Smart Denture Conversions, LLC. This indicates a potential broader litigation strategy where PTAB challenges are used in conjunction with district court proceedings.

Recommended next steps

• Monitor PGR2025-00054 closely. The Final Written Decision is expected between June and November 2026. This decision will be crucial for understanding the ultimate validity of the challenged claims.
• Access the public docket for PGR2025-00054 on the USPTO PTAB E2E portal (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/patent-trial-and-appeal-board/ptab-e2e) to review the petition, patent owner's preliminary response, and the institution decision. This will provide detailed information on the specific claims challenged, the prior art cited, and the Board's reasoning for institution.
• Given the ongoing parallel litigation (Smart Denture Conversions, LLC v. Straumann USA, LLC, No. 1:24-cv-00507-JCB (D. Del.)) where Straumann has moved for a conditional stay pending the PTAB outcomes, the result of PGR2025-00054 will be highly impactful on that district court case.
• If you are a defendant, understand that until an FWD is issued, the patent claims are still presumed valid, but the instituted PGR provides a strong basis to argue for a stay of any related district court litigation.