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
Although Applicant’s reply filed 6/30/2026 requested rejoinder of claims 19 and 20 due to claim 19 including “features similar to those added to Claim 1”, this request is denied as claim 19 does not include all of the same structural and functional features as claim 1. Accordingly, claims 19 and 20 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-10, 12, 13, 15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bonnal et al. (PG PUB 2012/0192968).
Re claim 1, Bonnal discloses a fluid connector system 100+30 (Fig 2; it is noted that all reference characters cited below refer to Fig 2-4 unless otherwise noted) comprising: a first valve assembly 100 comprising: a housing 104+54 (wherein wings 58 are replaced with a cylindrical proximal extension as described in Para 55) having a first end (to the left in Fig 2), a second end (to the right in Fig 2), wherein the second end is opposite to the first end (as seen in Fig 2), and an inner surface (formed by the body 54) forming a cavity (within which sealing member 76 resides, labeled in Fig A below) that extends through the second end toward the first end of the housing (as seen in Fig 2); a post 48 (seen in Fig 2, labeled in Fig 1) having a proximal end portion (the proximal half of the post 48; aka the left half in Fig 2) and a distal end portion (the distal half of the post 48; aka the right half in Fig 2), wherein the distal end portion of the post extends within the cavity in a direction from the first end of the housing toward the second end of the housing (as seen in Fig 2); a fluid passage 24+50 that extends through the first end of the housing and the post (as seen in Fig 2); and a compressible valve 76 (seen in Fig 2, labeled in Fig 1) positioned in the cavity (as seen in Fig 2), the compressible valve having a proximal end portion (the proximal half of the valve 76; aka the left half in Fig 2) and a distal end portion (the distal half of the valve 76; aka the right half in Fig 2), wherein the proximal end portion comprises a resilient member 86 having an inner surface forming a recess (within which post 48 resides; labeled in Fig A below), and wherein the distal end portion comprises a head (labeled in Fig A below) having a slit 84 (labeled in Fig 1, Para 59) that extends through the head to the recess (Para 59); and a second valve assembly 30 comprising: a body 120 having a first end (the proximal half of body 120; aka the right half in Fig 3), a second end (the distal half of body 120; aka the left half in Fig 3) opposite to the first end (as seen in Fig 2), a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends of the body (extending horizontally in Fig 2,3), and an inner surface forming a bore (within which plug 122 resides, as seen in Fig 2 and labeled in Fig B below) that extends through the second end toward the first end of the body (as seen in Fig 2), wherein a portion of the body proximate to the second end (labeled in Fig B below) extends radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the body and into the bore (as seen in Fig 2,3), and a fluid passage that extends through the first end of the body to the bore (as seen in in Fig 4; Para 73); a valve plug 122 having a first end (to the right in Fig 3), a second end (to the left in Fig 3), and a slit 132 that extends through the first and second ends of the valve plug (as seen in Fig 3), the valve plug positioned in the bore such that the portion of the body proximate to the second end of the body is configured to engage against the valve plug to resist movement of the valve plug out of the bore (as seen in Fig 2,3); and wherein, when the first and second valve assemblies are separated from each other (prior to the abutting step of Para 71), the compressible valve is in a first position with a distal end surface (the cylindrical surface of the section of the valve 76 that resides within the threaded area 72, as seen in Fig 3) of the head aligned on a common plane with the second end of the housing (as seen in Fig 3; the common plane is represented in annotated Fig B below by a dashed line), and when the first and second valve assemblies are coupled together (as seen in Fig 4), the second end of the body is positioned within the cavity of the housing and engaged against the compressible valve (as seen in Fig 4) such that the compressible valve is in a second position with the head biased toward the first end of the housing and the distal end portion of the post extending through the slit of the head of the compressible valve and through the slit of the valve plug, such that the fluid passage of the first valve assembly is fluidly coupled with the fluid passage of the second valve assembly (as seen in Fig 4, Para 73).
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Re claim 2, Bonnal discloses that the housing of the first valve assembly comprises a protrusion (the portion of collar 54 forming the small diameter 66, the smaller diameter 68 and the threads 72, seen in Fig 2 and labeled in Fig 1) that extends from the inner surface of the housing in a direction into the cavity (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 3, Bonnal discloses that the protrusion is positioned at the second end of the housing (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 4, Bonnal discloses that, when the compressible valve is in the first position, the head of the compressible valve is engaged against the protrusion (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 5, Bonnal discloses that an outer surface of the body of the second valve assembly comprises a wall 126 (“threads”, Para 71), that extends in a direction away from the outer surface in a direction that is transverse, relative to the longitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends of the body (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 6, Bonnal discloses that, when the first and second valve assemblies are coupled together, the protrusion of the first valve assembly is positioned between the wall and the first end of the body (as seen in Fig 4).
Re claim 7, Bonnal discloses that the fluid passage of the first valve assembly comprises an opening (“outlet 52”, Para 54) through a distal end (to the right in Fig 2) of the post (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 8, Bonnal discloses that the fluid passage of the first valve assembly comprises an opening (at the proximal end of post 48, to the left in Fig 2) spaced apart from a distal end (to the right in Fig 2) of the post (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 9, Bonnal discloses that the first end of the housing comprises a bond pocket 26 that extends into the first end of the housing in a direction toward the second end of the housing (as seen in Fig 2), and wherein the fluid passage of the first valve assembly extends through the bond pocket (Para 73).
Re claim 10, Bonnal discloses that the second end of the body extends radially inward in a direction toward the cavity (as seen in Fig 2), and wherein, the second end of the valve plug is aligned with the second end of the body (as seen in Fig 3, the second end of the valve plug resides within the distal half (i.e. the second end) of the body; therefore, the second end of the plug is aligned with the second end of the body).
Re claim 12, Bonnal discloses that any of the first end of the housing and the first end of the body comprise any of a bond pocket, a female luer, and/or a male luer (the first end of the housing comprises bond pocket 26, as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 13, Bonnal discloses that the inner surface of the housing comprises a ledge (the portion of collar 54 forming the small diameter 66, the smaller diameter 68 and the threads 72, seen in Fig 2 and labeled in Fig 1) such that a cross-sectional width of the inner surface of the housing decreases in a direction from the first end of the housing toward the second end of the housing (as seen in Fig 2).
Re claim 15, Bonnal discloses that, when the compressible valve is in the first position, the head of the compressible valve is engaged against the ledge (as seen in Fig 2, Para 64).
Re claim 18, Bonnal discloses that, when the first and second valve assemblies are coupled together (as seen in Fig 4), a fluid can flow from the first valve assembly to the second valve assembly, or from the second valve assembly to the first valve assembly (Para 73).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bonnal et al. (PG PUB 2012/0192968) in view of Sanders (PG PUB 2018/0200147).
Re claim 11, Bonnal discloses that the first end of the body is permanently connected to an IV tube (Para 72); therefore, Bonnal does not disclose that the first end of the body comprises a male luer that extends in a direction away from the second end of the body, and wherein the fluid passage of the second valve assembly extends through the male luer. Sanders, however, teaches a fluid connector system (Fig 6) comprising a first valve assembly 12 substantially similar to that of Bonnal (having a housing, post, and compressible valve) and a second valve assembly 96 substantially similar to that of Bonnal (having a body and a valve plug), wherein a first end (downward in Fig 6) of the body of the second valve assembly comprises a male luer (seen in Fig 6, Para 74) such that a fluid passage of the second valve assembly extends through the male luer (Para 74); Sanders teaches that the use of a male luer allows for temporary connection to an IV line attachment (Para 74). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Bonnal to include a male luer at the first end of the body of the second valve assembly, as taught by Sanders, for the purpose of allowing for temporary connection to an IV line attachment (Para 74) instead of requiring a permanent connection to the IV tube.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 6/30/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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 KAMI A BOSWORTH whose telephone number is (571)270-5414. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 am - 4 pm.
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/KAMI A BOSWORTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783
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