We build a lot of intellectual property models for defendants in patent challenge cases, filling their need to present hard to ascertain differences between two patents before a jury.  Using models can help a jury visualize the physical differences and make an informed decision.

This model was made for a courtroom presentation.  The double-helix sections were made with plastic and wood beads on twisted rods.  They were mounted on clear acrylic tubing, capped off on the ends, screwed, and tapped so that they could mount to each other in different configurations.  The circular pieces included magnetic removable sections to allow the attorneys to show the two alternate configurations of each piece.

In a courtroom, it is a great advantage to able to pick something up off a table and show the jury what you are talking about.  Sometimes, there is no better way to point something out then to do so literally.  This model was made for this express purpose.

The actual sized product fits in the palm of your hand.  The model needed to be large enough for a jury, 12 feet away, to see the details relevant to the case.  The internal components were made mostly from acrylic, painted to simulate the actual material; the outer enclosure was made from a single piece of sheet metal, cut to shape, folded, and attached at the seam.  The attorney could compare the fully assembled model to the actual sized product, then slide the cover off, and begin a detailed presentation.  The model, especially the metal case, looked and felt like the real thing, making it a very compelling courtroom presentation.

In some cases, it is important to have a piece of equipment or machinery in physical form to show a judge or jury the significance of altering said equipment.  The overall size of this model was determined by its length.  It needed to be as big as possible, while still allowing it to sit comfortably on a table top.  The specific scale selected enabled us to purchase available toy tires, rather than spend the labor cost to make them.  Since this was made for courtroom demonstration purposes only, we could have used painted plastic for the conveyor belt.  Instead, we opted for the more authentic feel of rubber and cut up a bicycle inner tube.  This is not a toy, but was admittedly quite fun to make.

In some cases, it is important to have a piece of equipment or machinery in physical form to show a judge or jury the significance of altering said equipment.  The overall size of this model was determined by its length.  It needed to be as big as possible, while still allowing it to sit comfortably on a table top.  The specific scale selected enabled us to purchase available toy tires, rather than spend the labor cost to make them.  Since this was made for courtroom demonstration purposes only, we could have used painted plastic for the conveyor belt.  Instead, we opted for the more authentic feel of rubber and cut up a bicycle inner tube.  This is not a toy, but was admittedly quite fun to make.

Sometimes, a simple shape, big enough for the jury to see everything distinctly, proves to be the best way to make what seems like a simple point clear. This is especially true when the point being made is about the relative size or location of components and how they are structured or designed to interact.  Litigation models are often an assembly of detachable shapes with colors matching courtroom graphics.  They enable the attorney to say, “this is…” and engage the jury, allowing them to understand the simplicity of the argument.

Although the shapes of these models are quite simple, the technical challenge of reproducing their adhesive material was not.  We needed to achieve the proper look and feel of each, at a much larger scale than actual.  We also needed to precisely replicate the rigidity or flexibility of the adhesives when pressure or multidirectional movement was applied to the top piece.  Though we are experts in these materials, simulating their various properties was a chemistry lesson, indeed.  The transport box in the background is made of Gatorfoam (foam sheets “skinned” in hard plastic), making it lightweight and durable.  We typically build these to conceal and transport our models.

Our team built several models for one of the biggest technology lawsuits to date.  Some were literal translations of components, enlarged 10,000 times their actual size, while others were diagrammatic interactive exhibits used to demonstrate how a switch in a computer chip works.  The model pictured here was the first one we made.  The attorney needed to be able to grab part of the model and, in a simple moment of clarity, pull it out of the gray mass that represents silicone and say, “This is a switch.”  Other models presented during the case were interactive, as well: tilting steel stands on wheels allowing ease of movement in and out of the courtroom and facilitating display, and a working circuit demonstration, all of which left a far more lasting impression on the jury than diagrams alone would have made.

These models were made in two different sizes and in several different configurations.  Each set was made up of two parts, allowing the attorney to physically show how the pieces fit.  The first round of nucleotide models were water-jet cut because they were made of expanded PVC foam board, a material that cannot be laser cut.  Subsequent sets were milled on our CNC machine.  We chose this material because the long, thick pieces needed to be lightweight and durable for extensive handling.  Foam would have been too fragile and acrylic would have been too heavy.  Additionally, if one was dropped, it likely would have chipped or split in half.  Clearly, we think about these factors quite a bit for models that are apparently quite simple.  It’s in our DNA or, as we like to say, “Gemetics.”

Imagine that you’ve been selected to serve on a jury for a case about a drug patent.  As your eyes start glazing over, picture the attorneys in the case bringing out not only dozens of two-dimensional renderings but, also, a large, colorful model that demonstrates how a breast cancer drug actually works in the body.  Your interest is peaked!  Ours was, too.  We brought that excitement to the building of the model, finding creative solutions to difficult problems.  Parts had to push in, pop out, and snap together without fail.  As specialists in appearance models, we combine the artistic talent required to create sculpted three-dimensional forms with the engineering experience needed to ensure structural integrity in a courtroom presentation.

This litigation model was made for complete assembly and disassembly.  The hard components were made of painted acrylic (a.k.a. Plexiglas.)  Soft, transparent, colored layers were cast in flexible urethane rubber.  Tiny magnets were placed at the ends of the wires to facilitate a secure and precise connection to the layer below.  Ease of assembly, disassembly, and durability are key elements of a physical model in any courtroom demonstration.

This litigation model was made for complete assembly and disassembly.  The hard components were made of painted acrylic (a.k.a. Plexiglas.)  Soft, transparent, colored layers were cast in flexible urethane rubber.  Tiny magnets were placed at the ends of the wires to facilitate a secure and precise connection to the layer below.  Ease of assembly, disassembly, and durability are key elements of a physical model in any courtroom demonstration.

Mid-production, we were struck by the beautiful curves and delicate structure of this silver metal-etched stent part of the over-sized Aortic Heart Valve.  Sometimes, Model Art™ emerges as a result of what appear to be simple model design choices—even within the context of a medical patent litigation!