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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 119-127 in the reply filed on 10/23/2025 is acknowledged.
Status of Claims
Claims 119-127 are pending and examined on the merits.
Claims 128-151 are withdrawn for being drawn to non-elected inventions.
Information Disclosure Statement
The 5 information disclosure statements (IDS’s) submitted on 07/12/2022, 08/02/2022, 05/07/2025, 10/08/2025, and 11/13/2025 were filed before the mailing date of the First Office Action on the Merits. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 119-127 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.
Claims 119-127 recite the limitation "the coupling arrangement". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. For the purposes of this Office Action, and in the interest in compact prosecution, Examiner will treat “the coupling arrangement” to read “the connecting arrangement”.
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 119-127 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harding (U.S. Pre Grant Pub. No. 2008/0108973 A1).
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Regarding claim 119, Harding, with reference to Image 1 above, teaches:
A connecting arrangement (see Image 1) for a connecting system for producing a fluidic connection between a first container and a second container (see Image 1 and at least para. [0035]), it being possible, for producing the fluidic connection, for the connecting arrangement to be coupled to a second connecting arrangement (as shown in Image 1, the two connecting arrangements are coupled) and the connecting system being designed to bring about an opening by coupling (see Image 1), as a result of which a passage is produced which is suitable for interconnecting the interiors of the containers (see Image 1),
the connecting arrangement comprising a tubular coupling arrangement (as shown in Image 1, the connecting arrangement is tubular in shape) having a tube axis (at least inherent), the connecting arrangement being closed in an original state (see Fig. 3, for example) and being openable to form the passage by deforming the connecting arrangement transversely to a longitudinal axis of the tube (see Image 1),
wherein the connecting arrangement comprises a step portion (see Image 1) that extends substantially radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube (see Image 1) and is arranged between a first portion (see Image 1) extending at least substantially in parallel with the tube axis (see Image 1) and a second portion (see Image 1) extending at least substantially in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tube (see Image 1).
Regarding claim 120, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 119. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the step portion forms a bellows together with the connecting arrangement (see for example Image 4 and Fig. 3; elements 40 form a bellow-type structure).
Regarding claim 121, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 119. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the connecting arrangement is non-circular in cross section (see cross section created by dotted line in Image 1), as a result of which it has at least one first half-axis having a minimum length (for example, a half-axis running horizontally in Image 1) and at least one second half-axis having a maximum length (for example, a half-axis running vertically in Image 1), and the step portion having a greater extension in alignment with or in the extension of the first half-axis than in alignment with the second half-axis (the step portion will have a greater extension in alignment with a horizontal half-axis than a vertical one).
Regarding claim 122, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 121. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the step portion forms a bellows in alignment with or in the extension of the first half-axis (see Image 1).
Regarding claim 123, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 121. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the step portion tapers in the direction of the alignment with the second half-axis (see Image 1s showing a taper in the vertical direction).
Regarding claim 124, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 121. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the step portion tapers to zero in the direction of the alignment with or in the extension of the second half-axis, such that a step portion is not provided in alignment with the second half-axis (as shown in Image 1, the tapered area tapers to zero in the vertical direction).
Regarding claim 125, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 121. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the radial extension of the step portion, proceeding from the alignment with or in the extension of the second half-axis, increases on either side in the direction of the alignment with or in the extension of the first half-axis (as shown in Image 1, the radial extension of the step portion, i.e., in the horizontal direction, increases in the direction of the first half-axis, i.e., in the horizontal direction).
Regarding claim 126, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 119. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the step portion adapts the shape of the connecting arrangement (see for example a comparison of Figs. 3 and 4), which is non-circular in cross section, to a circular shape (the step portion has a circular shape cross section in the horizontal direction).
Regarding claim 127, Harding teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 119. Additionally, Harding teaches: wherein the step portion lies at least substantially in a plane which is perpendicular to the coupling direction (the first portion of the step portion, for example, lies in a plane perpendicular to the coupling direction).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Geiger (U.S. Pre Grant Pub. No. 2013/0165851 A1) – Tube with a Female Luer Lock Fitting.
Tunesi (U.S. Pre Grant Pub. No. 2018/0168930 A1) – Container System and Method.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIHAD DAKKAK whose telephone number is (571)272-0567. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sarah Al-Hashimi can be reached at (571) 272-7159. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIHAD DAKKAK/ Examiner, Art Unit 3781
/SARAH AL HASHIMI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3781