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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on 10/24/2025, 11/21/2025, 12/15/2025 and 02/11/2026 are 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 01/02/2026 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 Claims 1-8, 13-16 and 18-19 have been withdrawn from consideration.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 01/02/2025 are not sufficient to cure the previous 35 U.S.C.112(b) rejections set forth in the Non-Final office action mailed on 10/02/2025
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.
Claim 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 has been amended to recite “wherein the collapsed inner diameter is constant along a length of the support frame from the proximal end to the distal end and the expanded inner diameter is constant along the length of the support frame from the proximal end to the distal end” and there does not appear to be support in the specification for such limitation. The examiner notes that while Figs. 12A-12B show a constant diameter of the support frame the specification does not describe the diameters in Figs. 12A or 12B as extending from the proximal end to the distal end. Therefore, it is the examiner’s position that the aforementioned limitation is new matter.
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 9-12 and 17 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.
Regarding claim 9, the recitation “one or more connector members, each connector member of the one or more connector members” is indefinite because it the claim requires one, hence, it is not clear what is meant by “each connector member of the one or more connector members” and if applicant is attempting to claim at least “one or more connecting members” or a plurality of connecting members by referencing each. For examination purposes the aforementioned recitation has been interpreted as “one or more connector members, the one or more connecting members connecting respective ribs of the plurality of offset ribs”.
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); 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); one or more connector members (25a-d on 10b), each connector member of 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 along a length (length of 10b) of the support frame (10b) from the proximal end (Fig. 1 below) to the distal end (Fig. 1 below; see Fig. 1 where in the inner diameter of 10b is constant from the proximal end to the distal end of 10b) and the expanded inner diameter (inner diameter of 10b in Fig. 2) is constant along the length of the support frame (10b) from the proximal end (Fig. 1 below) to the distal end (Fig. 1 below; see Fig. 2 where in the inner diameter of 10b is constant from the proximal end to the distal end of 10b).
[AltContent: connector]Examiner’s Annotated Fig. 2
[AltContent: textbox (2nd direction)]
[AltContent: textbox (proximal end)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (longitudinal axis)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (1st direction)][AltContent: textbox (distal end)][AltContent: ][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 with respect to claim(s) filed on 01/02/2026 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 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