J&J Unit’s Laser Eye Surgery Patent Survives Alcon Challenge

Alcon Inc. failed to convince an administrative tribunal that certain technology for laser-based cataracts surgery couldn’t be patented by a Johnson & Johnson unit—the latest development in a long-running feud between the two.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board on Thursday rejected several Alcon arguments that claims in AMO Development LLC’s US Patent No. 9,107,732 are obvious in light of “prior art” and thus unpatentable. Prior art refers to evidence that shows an invention would have already been known.

Alcon offered prior art that included various abstracts and journal articles. But the board found no evidence that those references could ...