A Delaware federal jury awarded Beckman Coulter $56 million in a patent dispute with Cytek Biosciences, Reuters reported. The verdict remains subject to post-trial proceedings.
Key Facts
- Federal court: The jury awarded $20 million in past lost profits and $36 million in royalties.
- Mixed verdict: Cytek said it prevailed on three of four asserted patent claims submitted to the jury.
- Procedural status: Cytek plans to pursue post-verdict remedies and may appeal.
What the jury decided
The products at issue are flow cytometry systems used to analyze individual cells.
Reuters reported that the jury found infringement on part of Beckman Coulter’s case and awarded $56 million. The award consisted of $20 million in past lost profits and $36 million in royalties.
Cytek described the result as a mixed verdict. Its statement said the jury found for Cytek on three of four asserted claims.
On the remaining claim, Cytek said the jury found no literal infringement. It nevertheless found infringement under the doctrine of equivalents, according to the company.
That doctrine can cover a product that does not meet a patent claim’s exact wording but is considered substantially equivalent.
What the verdict does not settle
The result is a jury verdict and damages award, not a final appellate decision. It also does not mean Beckman Coulter prevailed on every patent claim presented at trial.
Reuters reported that the jury found two of the three patents tried were not infringed and were invalid. That description counts patents, while Cytek’s statement counts individual patent claims.
Cytek said it disputes the remaining infringement finding and the damages award. The company plans to seek post-verdict remedies and may pursue an appeal.
Cytek also said the verdict itself requires no immediate changes to its products or operations. That is the company’s position, not a finding by the court.
The case and what comes next
The case is Beckman Coulter, Inc. v. Cytek Biosciences, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-00945-CFC. It is pending before Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Cytek previously denied liability after Beckman Coulter filed the action in August 2024. The parties later dismissed Cytek’s false-marking counterclaim without prejudice.
Post-trial proceedings could address Cytek’s challenges to the infringement finding and damages. A later appeal would begin through a separate federal appellate process.
Reuters reported that Beckman Coulter did not immediately respond to its request for comment about the verdict.
