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 .
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 22, 26-28, and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maisano et al US Patent 8,961,596B2.
Maisano et al discloses a transcatheter system comprising a prosthetic valve (30) comprising a first anchor frame subcomponent (see figure below), a second anchor frame subcomponent (see figure below), and an interstage (see figure below), disposed between the first anchor frame subcomponent and the second anchor frame subcomponent; and a constraining sheath (112) configured to be coupled with the prosthetic valve by passing through a portion of the prosthetic valve.
Regarding claim 26, a manipulation device (106b and 330) comprising an elongated portion (106b) and an engaging portion (330) coupled to an internal body structure (320).
Regarding claim 28, the elongated portion and the engaging portion are integrally formed (see Figs. 21A-21C).
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Claims 22, 23 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vidlund et al US Patent Pub. 2021/0228349A1.
Vidlund et al discloses a prosthetic valve (see figure 38) comprising a first anchor frame subcomponent (see figure below), a second anchor frame subcomponent (see figure below), and an interstage (see figure below), disposed between the first anchor frame subcomponent and the second anchor frame subcomponent; and a constraining sheath (112) configured to be coupled with the prosthetic valve by passing through a portion of the prosthetic valve.
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Regarding claim 23, the material that made the 1st anchor frame has been interpreted as the framework. Related to the constraining sheath, see figure above and figures 40 and 41 showing how the constraining sheath pass through the apertures by penetrating the tip all the way through the openings.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24, 25 and 29-34 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALVIN J STEWART whose telephone number is (571)272-4760. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30AM-6PM EST.
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/ALVIN J STEWART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799 8/18/25