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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/18/2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on 05/18/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendments with respect to claims filed on 5/18/2026 have been entered. Claims 1-19 remain pending in this application and are currently under consideration for patentability under 37 CFR 1.104. Claims 1-8, 13-16 and 18-19 have been withdrawn from consideration.
The amendments and remarks filed on 05/18/2026 are sufficient to cure the previous 35 U.S.C.112 (a) and (b) rejections set forth in the Final office action mailed on 03/19/2026.
Claim Interpretation
Regarding claim 1, the recitation “beveled shape” has been interpreted under the broadest reasonable interpretation. Dictionary.com defines “bevel” as “a surface that does not form a right angle with adjacent surfaces.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 9-12 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 9 recites “the connector rib having a beveled shape” and there does not appear to be support in the specification for the aforementioned limitation. While the embodiment of Fig. 2 has been elected, it should be noted that more specifically, the specification does not describe any of the connector ribs as having a bevel shape. The specification does describe that the funnel profile 1416 in Fig. 14B can be beveled and that this is the support frame of 210; however, it is the examiner’s position that this is referring to the profile of the entire support frame and not just the connector rib.
Claims 10-12 and 17 are rejected as they depend from, and therefore incorporate the claimed subject matter from claims rejected under this statute.
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.
Claim(s) 9-12 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kanazawa et al. (Pub. No. 2005/0149111).
Regarding claim 9, Kanazawa et al. teaches a catheter tip (101, Fig. 9) comprising: a support frame (10b, Figs. 1-2 and see [0112]) comprising: a longitudinal axis (longitudinal axis of 10b, see Fig. 2 below); a collapsed delivery configuration (configuration of 10b in Fig. 1); an expanded deployed configuration (configuration of 10b in Fig. 2, see [0016] and [0061]); a connector rib (23a-d along 10b, Figs. 1 and 2) extending around a circumference of the support frame (10b) in a first direction (1st direction, see Fig. 2 below where 23a partially extends around the circumference of 10b); the connector rib having a beveled shape (see Fig. 1 below illustrating 23a-d being a curved surface; hence, the middle outer surface of 23a-d does not form a right angle with adjacent surfaces 22a/b and is therefore beveled see claim interpretation above); a plurality of offset ribs (22a-d on 10b, Figs. 1 and 2) extending from the connector rib (23a-d) around the circumference of the support frame (10b) in a second direction (2nd direction, Fig. 2 below where a portion of 22 extends upward from 23), a first offset rib (22a, Fig. 1 below) of the plurality of offset ribs (22a-d) having a different length (1st length, Fig. 1 below) than a second offset rib (2nd length of 22b, Fig. 1 below) of the plurality of offset ribs (22a-d ) in the collapsed delivery configuration (configuration of 10b in Fig. 1); one or more connector members (25a-d on 10b), the one or more connector members (25a-d) connecting respective ribs of the plurality of offset ribs (22a-d, see fig. 1 where 25c connects the ribs of 24c to the ribs of 24d); a proximal end (proximal end, Fig. 1 below); a distal end (distal end, Fig. 1 below) with a beveled open mouth (10c/10a, see Fig. 2 where 10c/10 is angled; hence it is beveled); and the support frame (10b) further comprising a collapsed inner diameter (inner diameter of 10b in Fig. 1) in the collapsed delivery configuration (configuration of 10b in Fig. 1) and a larger expanded inner diameter (inner diameter of 10b in Fig. 2, see [0016] and [0061]) in the expanded deployed configuration (configuration of 10b in Fig. 2) when the support frame is placed in axial compression wherein the collapsed inner diameter (inner diameter of 10b in Fig. 1) is constant (see Fig. 1 where in the inner diameter of 10b is constant in the configuration in Fig. 1) and the expanded inner diameter (inner diameter of 10b in Fig. 2) is constant (Fig. 1 below; see Fig. 2 where in the inner diameter of 10b in the deployed configuration).
[AltContent: textbox (middle outer beveled surface)][AltContent: arrow]Examiner’s Annotated Fig. 1
[AltContent: textbox (1st length)][AltContent: ][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (2nd length)]
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[AltContent: connector]Examiner’s Annotated Fig. 2
[AltContent: textbox (2nd direction)]
[AltContent: textbox (longitudinal axis)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (distal end)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (proximal end)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (1st direction)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
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Regarding claim 10, Kanazawa et al. teaches wherein the one or more connector members (25a-d) further comprise one or more connector struts (see Fig. 2, thefreedictionary.com defines “strut” as “a structural member used mainly in compression” and it is the Examiner’s position that elements 25a-d are used in compression of 10b; hence, elements 25a-d are struts).
Regarding claim 11, Kanazawa et al. teaches wherein the one or more connector struts (25a-d) are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (longitudinal axis, Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, Kanazawa et al. teaches wherein the one or more connector struts (25a-d) connect respective adjacent ribs (near) of the plurality of offset ribs (22a-d on 10b, see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, Kanazawa et al. teaches wherein the first direction (1st direction Fig. 2 above) and the second direction (2nd direction, Fig. 2 above) are approximately orthogonal (see Fig. 2 above illustrating the first direction and the second direction being approximately orthogonal).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding Kanazawa et al. applicant argues that Kanazawa does not teach or disclose a catheter tip with a support frame comprising a connector rib having a beveled shape and a plurality of offset ribs in which a first offset rib of the plurality of offset ribs has a different length than a second offset rib of the plurality of offset ribs in the collapsed delivery configuration. Applicant recites [0054] of Kanazawa stating that elements 21a-21d are substantially orthogonal to the central axis and substantially parallel to the axial direction of the device and the elements 22a-22d are in a similar configuration.
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Dictionary.com defines “bevel” as “a surface that does not form a right angle with adjacent surfaces.” Fig. 1 illustrates elements 23a-d as a connecting member between elements 22a-d. It is the examiner’s position that as a result of the device being in a cylindrical shape and 23a-d being a connecting member that is slightly bent/curved towards elements 22a-d the middle outer surface of 22a-d does not form a right angle with the connecting surfaces of 23a-d; hence, the middle outer surface of 22a-d is beveled.
In addition, it should be noted that in the recitation of “a first offset rib of the plurality of offset ribs has a different length than a second offset rib of the plurality of offset ribs in the collapsed delivery configuration” the length isn’t defined or set by boundaries. Hence, it is the examiner’s position that the length of the left side of 22a in Fig. 1 above is different than the bottom length of 22b above. It should be noted that the claim does not recite how the lengths are different and it is the examiner’s position that “a different length” is any arbitrary length of 22a/b.
Therefore, for the aforementioned reasons in light of the amendments a new rejection is made with Kanazawa et al. (see rejection above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIFFANY LEGETTE-THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7078. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Srilakshmi Kumar can be reached at 571-272-7769. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TIFFANY LEGETTE-THOMPSON
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1723
/TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
