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MIAMI, Fla.—A Federal Appeals Court here ruled last week that Vision Precision Holdings did not infringe a patent on ocular telehealth technology that was the subject of a lawsuit brought by the patent holder, 20/20 Vision Center. The ruling, filed March 4 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, affirmed an earlier ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida that found that Vision Precision Holdings, which last year changed its name to Now Optics and does business as Stanton Optical and My Eyelab, did not infringe on 20/20 Vision Center’s U.S. Patent No. 9,230,062.

The patent covers what is described in court documents as “a system having an automated or semi-automated customer diagnostic center that allows individuals to obtain eye health examinations and vision examinations with little or no on-site assistance.” 20/20 Vision Center does business as 2020Now.

The Federal Court’s ruling impacts a lawsuit that 20/20 Vision Center bought in 2018 against Digital Optometrics. The suit claims that DigitalOptometrics had also infringed on 20/20 Vision Center’s telehealth patent, as VMAIL reported.

Citing the Federal Court’s decision, attorneys for 20/20 Vision Center asked the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York on Tuesday that a stay in the suit that was requested in January, 2019 be continued until April 3, 2020. 20/20 Vision Center has until then to file a petition for a rehearing. If 20/20 Vision does not file a petition for a rehearing by April 3, Digital Optometrics has asked that the case be dismissed. Otherwise, DigitalOptometrics has asked that the stay be lifted.