3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark, says it is dismayed to learn that Align Technology Inc, San Jose, Calif, will terminate its Invisalign interoperability contract with 3Shape TRIOS.

Align Technology reportedly notified 3Shape TRIOS doctors about its plans to terminate the Invisalign-3Shape TRIOS connection in the United States, giving doctors only 30 days notice.

The termination comes after Align filed six patent infringement lawsuits against 3Shape in November, alleging that 3Shape’s TRIOS intraoral scanning system and Dental System software infringe on Align patents.

In a press release, 3Shape states that the interoperability of Invisalign and 3Shape TRIOS has “absolutely no legal link to the patent infringement allegations against 3Shape, which is completely founded and without merit.”

According to the same press release, 3Shape was not part of Align’s decision to terminate the Invisalign-TRIOS interoperability. The company states that based on its communication with Align last month that it was given the impression that Align had no intention of closing the Invisalign interoperability.

3Shape contends that this action is an attempt by Align “to maintain market share in the clear aligner market based on their now expired patents.”