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 Species A and claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 01/31/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim 12 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/31/2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/15/2022, 09/13/2022, a are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 3, 9, and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 3, in line 5 the phrase “the second support unit” should read “the second support portion” in order to align with the claim language introduced previously in claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, in line 2 the phrase “the protruding portions and the holding portions” should read “the protruding portion and the holding portion” in order to align with the claim language introduced previously in claim 6.
Regarding claim 11, in line 15 the phrase “rotatable attached” should read “rotatably attached” in order to be grammatically correct.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishida (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20180280663 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ishida discloses a catheter assembly (Fig. 1, catheter assembly 10A) comprising:
a catheter (Fig. 1, tubular catheter 12);
a catheter hub fixed to the catheter (Fig. 1, catheter hub 14);
an inner needle inserted through the catheter (Fig. 1, tubular inner needle 16);
a grip fixed to and holding the inner needle (Fig. 1, para. 0064, needle hub 18);
a first support portion, which is a member separate from the grip and is configured to support an outer side of the catheter (Fig. 1, support arm 42a); and
a second support portion, which is a member separate from the grip, has at least a part that is located at a position facing the first support portion, and is configured to support the outer side of the catheter (Fig. 1, support arm 42b);
wherein the first support portion and the second support portion are releasably held with each other (para. 0077).
Regarding claim 2, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
the first support portion is an operation unit configured to be operated to cause relative movement of the catheter with respect to the grip (see Fig. 5, para. 0093).
Regarding claim 3, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 2, wherein:
in a state of being held by the second support portion (see Fig, 1, para. 0077, support arms 42 in a closed state), the operation unit is slidable along an extending direction of the catheter (see Figs. 2, Figs. 4-5, para. 0083, restraining portion 44 is coupled to support arm 42a and is slidable with respect to support arms 42), and the operation unit is not separable from the second support unit in a direction in which the operation unit and the second support portion overlap each other (see Fig. 1, para. 0077, restraining portion 44 restrains support arms 42).
Regarding claim 4, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 2, wherein:
at least a part of the operation unit is engaged with the grip such that the operation unit is not detachable from the grip in a direction in which the operation unit and the second support portion overlap each other (see Fig. 1, para. 0079, support pins 43 are configured to couple support arms 42 to the protrusions 38 of needle hub 18).
Regarding claim 5, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 2, wherein:
the operation unit comprises a reinforcing portion on a distal side (Fig. 1, restraining portion 44), the reinforcing portion inhibiting deflection of the operation unit in a direction away from the catheter (para. 0084).
Regarding claim 6, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
the first support portion comprises:
an extending portion extending along the catheter (Fig. 1, engaging groove 56a),
a protruding portion that protrudes from the extending portion beyond the catheter (Fig. 1, restraining protrusion 58a), and
a holding portion that extends from the protruding portion toward the second support portion and holds the second support portion (Fig. 1, para. 0084, restraining protrusion 58b).
Regarding claim 7, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 6, wherein:
the second support portion includes an insertion target portion (Fig. 1, restraining protrusion 56b) into which the holding portion is slidably insertable such that the insertion target portion holds the holding portion (para. 0084).
Regarding claim 8, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 7, wherein:
the holding portion and the insertion target portion extend along an extending direction of the catheter (see Fig. 1, restraining portion 44 and restraining protrusion 56b both extend along an axial length of catheter 12).
Regarding claim 9, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 6, wherein:
the protruding portions and the holding portions are each provided in pairs with the catheter between (see Figs. 1-2, restraining protrusion 58a pairs with engaging groove 56a and restraining protrusion 58b pairs with engaging groove 56b).
Regarding claim 10, Ishida discloses the catheter assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the first support portion and the second support portion is configured to support the catheter at a location frontward of a distal end of the grip (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Ishida discloses a catheter assembly (Fig. 1, catheter assembly 10A) comprising:
a catheter (Fig. 1, tubular catheter 12);
a catheter hub fixed to the catheter (Fig. 1, catheter hub 14);
an inner needle inserted through the catheter (Fig. 1, tubular inner needle 16);
a grip fixed to and holding the inner needle (Fig. 1, para. 0064, needle hub 18);
a catheter operation member, which is a member separate from the grip and is configured to support an outer side of the catheter (Fig. 1, support arm 42a), the catheter operation member comprising:
an operation plate portion extending in an axial direction of the catheter (Fig. 1, restraining portion 44), and
a hub engagement portion connected to a proximal end of the operation plate portion and engaged with the catheter hub (Fig. 1, para. 0087, portion to be pressed 60); and
a lower support member that is rotatably attached to the grip (Fig. 1, para. 0078, support arm 42b), has at least a part that is located at a position facing the catheter operation member (see Fig. 1), and is configured to support the outer side of the catheter (see Fig. 1, para. 0078), wherein the lower support member comprises:
a shaft extending in a direction in which the catheter operation member and the lower support member overlap (see Fig. 1, portion of support arm 42b which extends toward catheter 12), and a supporting body portion protruding in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the shaft extends (see Fig. 1, the portion of support arm 42b which extends toward coupling pieces 49); wherein the catheter operation member and the lower support member are releasably engaged with each other (para. 0077).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMBER ROSE VENTURA whose telephone number is (703)756-5929. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 am - 5 pm, Friday 8 am - 4 pm EST.
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, KEVIN SIRMONS can be reached on (571) 272-4965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMBER R VENTURA/Examiner, Art Unit 3783
/KAMI A BOSWORTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783
Prosecution Insights