DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and associated arguments filed 6/29/2026 with respect to the previous 102 and 103 rejection of the claim have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Buesseler et al.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 13 has been amended to recite that the “first and second sensor grooves are configured to guide the connecting wires.” However, the original specification seems to make clear that is the first and second recessed areas that are configured to guide the connecting wires, as claimed. The claims state that the wires extend through the recessed areas and not the sensor grooves. Clarification is requested so that the metes and bounds of the claim are clear. Claims 14 and 15 depend from claim 13 and are indefinite based on their association.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Buesseler et al. (US 2018/0289356, hereinafter Buesseler).
Regarding claims 1, 2 and 13, Buesseler discloses a catheter with a coupler (see abstract). The catheter comprises an elongate shaft defining a shaft longitudinal axis and including a proximal and distal end, with the coupler disposed within a distal end of the shaft (par. 0038). The coupler has a longitudinal axis and includes a first sensor groove 202 and a second sensor groove 204’ in an exterior surface of the coupler (see figures 2A-2E and par. 0053-0056). Sensor 202’ is placed withing sensor groove 202 and sensor 204 is placed within sensor groove 204’ (see figures 2A-2E and par. 0053-0056). A first recessed wire management feature and a second recessed wire management feature is located proximally to the first sensor groove and second sensor groove, respectively, each feature configured to guide connecting wires extending from the sensors toward the coupler longitudinal axis, such that as the wires follow the recessed features, they eventually end up ectending along the longitudinal axis of the coupler, as seen in figures 2A and 2E and in the annotated figure below:
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Regarding claims 14 and 15, the catheter (i.e., a tube with a tubular lumen) is at the proximal end of the coupler, such that the wires extend out of the proximal end of the coupler and into the tubular lumen of the catheter tube (par. 0038).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
Claims 3-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892, specifically US 2008/0065002 (which discloses a catheter with wire management lumens) and US 2019/0038228 (see claim 14, disclosing a catheter with a proximal sensor coupler).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Eric D Bertram whose telephone number is (571)272-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-6pm Central Time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer McDonald can be reached at 571-270-3061. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Eric D. Bertram/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3796
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