The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Bio-Rad Laboratories, alleging the diagnostics company unlawfully used the university’s patented technology for analyzing biological samples. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California on Tuesday, claims that Bio-Rad’s Droplet platform incorporates Caltech’s proprietary technology that enhances medical diagnostics by utilizing colored tags to analyze biological samples.
Caltech seeks monetary damages, as well as an injunction to prevent Bio-Rad from further infringing on its patent. This case is part of a broader series of patent disputes within the diagnostics industry, particularly those related to gene-analysis technology.
The lawsuit asserts that Caltech’s researchers developed groundbreaking technology for “multiplexing,” a method of using colored “fluorophores” to analyze biological samples. According to the complaint, Bio-Rad, based in Hercules, California, incorporated this technology into its QX600 and QX ONE systems without authorization. These systems are used in various applications, including cancer research, gene therapy, and food and wastewater testing.
In addition to the lawsuit, Caltech noted that Bio-Rad is engaged in ongoing patent litigation with ChromaCode, a molecular diagnostics startup founded by Caltech researchers.
The case, California Institute of Technology v. Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, under case number 5:25-cv-01701.
For Caltech, the legal team is led by Bradley Graveline, Martin Bader, and Jesse Salen from Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton. Bio-Rad has yet to provide details about its legal representation.
Read more:
