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 .
Drawings
The drawings were received on 2/2/2026. These drawings are acceptable.
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 1-3, 5, and 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bonutti et al. (US20130253387, hereinafter Bonutti).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, Bonutti discloses a wire connector assembly (Figs. 13-14, 19-20, 30- 31) for an ultrasonic therapy catheter system (Figs. 1-3) comprising an ultrasound generator (140), the wire connector assembly comprising: a sonic connector (156) configured to couple to the ultrasound generator and receive ultrasonic energy therefrom, the sonic connector comprising a body having a passageway extending therethrough, the passageway including a tapered surface (variable diameter section); and a wire (110) engaging the tapered surface and extending outwardly from the passageway, the wire configured to receive ultrasonic energy from the sonic connector. The method as claimed in claim 7 is implicitly disclosed.
Regarding claims 2 and 8, the wire comprises a proximal end portion including an engagement feature, the engagement feature engaging the tapered surface of the passageway of the sonic connector. Please refer to Fig. 30, the left portion of the wire 110 engages with element 156.
Regarding claim 3 and 11, in Fig. 30, Bonutti shows the sonic connector comprising a longitudinal axis aligned with the passageway; and an ultrasound generator engagement surface configured to engage the ultrasound generator, the ultrasound generator engagement surface being aligned with the engagement feature relative to the longitudinal axis.
Regarding claims 5 and 12, the wire further comprises an elongated portion coupled to the engagement feature, wherein the passageway comprises a proximal passageway portion including the tapered surface and a distal passageway portion coupled to the proximal passageway portion, the distal passageway portion slip fittingly receiving the elongated portion of the wire. Please refer to Fig. 30.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, in Fig. 30, Bonutti shows the engagement feature at the distal end of the wire (110). Bonutti discloses the engagement feature engaging through a ball-fit, welding, by adhesive or mechanical interference. Therefore, the engaging feature formed by welding or melting is anticipated.
Claims 1-3 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schafer et al. (US20070066978, hereinafter Schafer).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, Schafer discloses a wire connector assembly (Figs. 8) for an ultrasonic therapy catheter system (3000) comprising an ultrasound generator (140), the wire connector assembly comprising: a sonic connector (3700) configured to couple to the ultrasound generator (3500) and receive ultrasonic energy therefrom, the sonic connector comprising a body having a passageway extending therethrough, the passageway including a tapered surface (variable diameter section); and a wire (400) engaging the tapered surface and extending outwardly from the passageway, the wire configured to receive ultrasonic energy from the sonic connector. The method as recited in claim 7 is implicitly disclosed.
Regarding claims 2 and 8, Fig. 9B shows the elongated portion, and the engagement feature.
Regarding claim 3, Schafer discloses the sonic connector (3700) further comprises: a longitudinal axis aligned with the passageway; and an ultrasound generator engagement surface configured to engage the ultrasound generator, the ultrasound generator engagement surface being aligned with the engagement feature relative to the longitudinal axis. See Figs. 8 and 9.
Regarding claim 9, Schafer discloses the sonic connector (3700) welded to the wire (4000).
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 4, 6, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bonutti.
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Bonutti discloses the engagement feature comprising mechanical interference, taper-fit, and ball-fit among others. Bonutti fails to disclose the engagement feature comprising a ball. However, it is the examiner’s position that the engagement feature comprising a ball is just a different form of attaching the wire to the sonic connector and would have been an obvious matter of design choice in order to secure the wire in place. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the before the effective filing date of the instant application to prove a ball as part of the engagement feature in order to secure the wire in place.
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Bonutti discloses the length of the elements can be adjusted depending on the operating frequency of the element. Therefore, the specific length would have been an obvious matter of design choice depending on the working frequency of the element.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The references of the Prior Art fail to teach or disclose, alone or in obvious combination, the claimed invention as described in claim 13 and comprising a joining material in a proximal portion of the passageway including the tapered surface.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/2/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s argument regarding the Office Action not establishing any specific teaching or suggestion of a variable diameter section in Bonutti and Schafer is not persuasive. Bonutti clearly shows a variable diameter in Figs. 20 and 31. Similarly, Schafer in Fig. 8 shows the element 3500 having a variable diameter right before connecting to the wire.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Jaydi San Martin whose telephone number is (571)272-2018. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 7:45-6:00pm.
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/J. San Martin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837