MANCHESTER, Conn.— Ocuco Inc. reported that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted its request to re-examine Seiko Epson Corp.’s U.S. Patent 6,019,470, which covers the invention of back-surface, freeform progressive lenses.

A document issued by the Patent and Trademark Office on July 1, 2013 states “a substantial new question of patentability affecting claims 1-20 of patent 6,019,470 (‘the ’470 patent’) is raised by the re-examination request...”

“This is the first hurdle we had to pass in our effort to get Seiko’s patent cancelled,” said Robert Shanbaum, president of Ocuco Inc., based here.

The ’470 patent, titled “Progressive multifocal lens and manufacturing method of eyeglass lens and progressive multifocal lens,” was issued to Seiko Epson on Feb. 1, 2000. As VMail reported on May 31, 2013, a Seiko Epson said the company “is confident in the validity of this patent.”

Ocuco Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ocuco Ltd. based Dublin, Ireland.