5 Times Small Firms Challenged Major Medtech Players on Patents

Patents and technical know-how are the lifeblood of the medical device industry and the battle to file patents first and retain control of an invention is a fierce one. It's not uncommon to see large companies assertively defend their intellectual property portfolio via lawsuits. But legal fights can take up plenty of resources--personnel, time, and resources--so small companies and upstarts often avoid bringing patent cases.

While the largest medical device companies have the resources to challenge smaller competitors' intellectual property, it's far less common to see David take on a Goliath. We collected five such cases to illustrate what situations motivated these companies/entities to bring a patent lawsuit. 

Were these bold moves also (financially) wise? Read on to see.