Opinion ID: 778740
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Comparison to the Accused Device

Text: 68 Notwithstanding this error by the district court, [w]hen we determine on appeal, as a matter of law, that a trial judge has misinterpreted a patent claim, we independently construe the claim to determine its correct meaning, and then determine if the facts presented at trial can support the appealed judgment. Exxon Chem. Patents, Inc. v. Lubrizol Corp., 64 F.3d 1553, 1560, 35 USPQ2d 1801, 1806 (Fed.Cir.1995). We may affirm the jury's findings on infringement or validity issues if substantial evidence appears in the record supporting the jury's verdict and if correction of the errors in a jury instruction on claim construction would not have changed the result, given the evidence presented. See Weinar v. Rollform Inc., 744 F.2d 797, 808, 223 USPQ 369, 376 (Fed.Cir.1984) ([A] reversal ... is not available to an appellant who merely establishes error in instructions.... Where the procedural error was `harmless,' i.e., where the evidence in support of the verdict was so overwhelming that the same verdict would necessarily be reached absent the error, or the error was cured by an instruction, a new trial would be mere waste and affirmance of the judgment is required.), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1084, 105 S.Ct. 1844, 85 L.Ed.2d 143 (1985). Under these circumstances, the error in claim construction is harmless and does not require a new trial. See Ecolab Inc. v. Paraclipse, Inc., 285 F.3d 1362, 1374, 62 USPQ2d 1349, 1357 (Fed.Cir.2002) (When the error in a jury instruction could not have changed the result, the erroneous instruction is harmless. (internal quotations omitted)). 69 In this case, the claim construction error by the district court had the effect of narrowing the scope of asserted claim 1. Thus, under the correct construction, claim 1 encompasses a broader scope of subject matter. If a reasonable juror could have found literal infringement under a more narrow reading of claim 1, then the same reasonable juror could not have avoided finding literal infringement under the correct, broader construction of the claim. Thus, the district court's error was harmless. See Ecolab, 285 F.3d at 1374, 62 USPQ2d at 1357; Weinar, 744 F.2d at 808, 223 USPQ at 376. 70 The record shows that Teleflex's expert testified concerning the operation and structure of the accused device, including the details of the Ficosa clip. The accused Ficosa cable, including the clip, was available to the jury, as was a detailed diagram of the Ficosa clip. Because the details of the Ficosa device were presented to the jury, we cannot say that substantial evidence was lacking in support of the jury's finding of infringement of claim 1 of the '182 patent. The district court's denial of Ficosa's motion for JMOL of non-infringement of the '182 patent is affirmed.