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 .
Response to Amendment
This action is entered in response to Applicant’s amendment and reply of January 14, 2026. Claims 1-12, 22, 35-39, 43 and 65 are pending. Claims 1, 4, 6-9, 11-12, 22, 65 are amended. Claims 22, 35-39, 43 and 65 are withdrawn. Claims 13-21, 23-34, 40-42, 44-64, 66-88 are cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed January 14, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 2-9, 11-12 under 35 USC 112b have been fully considered and are persuasive in light of the amendments to the claims. The rejection of claims 2-9 and 11-12 under 112b has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed January 14, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1, 3, 6-12 under 35 USC 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive in light of the amendments. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Bierman, US 6,786,892.
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, 6-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bierman, US 6,786,892.
Regarding claim 1, Bierman discloses a support block (20a, see embodiment in Figs. 6-8, col. 10, lines 48-67, where like numbers are similar to embodiment in Fig. 1), comprising: a bottom surface (bottom of 20a, Fig. 7a-b); a top surface (top of 20a, Fig. 7b) substantially at an angle relative to the bottom surface, the angle being between 5 degrees and 50 degrees (col. 14, lines 37-48, angle between 5 to 30 degrees), the top surface connected to the bottom surface via a front surface (front of 20a, Fig. 7b, 8), two side surfaces (sides of 20a, Fig. 7a), and a rear surface (rear of 20a, Fig. 7b), the rear surface having a larger surface area than the front surface (Fig. 7b, 8, col. 10, line 66 to col. 11, line 20); wherein the top surface and/or bottom surface has a connector (groove 108) configured to allow the support block to connect with at least one additional support block (20a connects to additional block/base 92), the connector being:
a protruding element configured to interface with a receiving slot on the at least one additional support block;
a receiving slot configured to receive a protruding element from the at least one additional support block; and/or
one or more protrusions or depressions configured to form an interference fit with one or more protrusions or depressions on the at least one additional support block (dovetail configuration of 96 with groove 108 that corresponds to 96, that permits 20a to slide over base 92 with base stops 106, col. 11, lines 1-22, Fig. 7a),
wherein the top surface includes a depression or channel (channel 44, Fig. 7b, col. 7, lines 7-20, where embodiment of Fig. 1 shares the channel feature with embodiment of Fig. 6, 7a-b) extending along its entire length configured to contact and partially surround a portion of a medical device and/or access device (catheter adapter 22, col. 7, lines 7-20).
Regarding claim 2, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, wherein support blocks comprise a silicone, a thermoplastic polyurethane, and/or a foam (col. 12, lines 24-40).
Regarding claim 3, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, wherein the one or more support blocks comprise a rigid material (col. 12, lines 24-40; plastics in the list include rigid materials).
Regarding claim 6, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, further comprising an angle-matching device (16a, col. 11, lines 5-20) permanently coupled to the bottom surface (embedding or otherwise weaving, col. 11, lines 5-20), the angle-matching device configured to be sutured to the patient (col. 11, lines 5-20; pad 16a is capable of having sutures inserted through because the pad is formed of tape, col. 9, lines 40-55).
Regarding claim 7, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, wherein the support block is configured to be sutured to the patient (pad 16a is capable of having sutures inserted through because the pad is formed of tape, col. 9, lines 40-55).
Regarding claim 8, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer on a bottom surface and/or a tacky surface on the bottom surface of the support block (adhesive surface 18, col. 9, lines 1-10).
Regarding claim 9, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, wherein the top surface is contoured to receive at least a portion of an access device and/es a medical device (channel 44, Fig. 7b, col. 7, lines 7-20, where embodiment of Fig. 1 shares the channel feature with embodiment of Fig. 6, 7a-b).
Regarding claim 10, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 9, wherein the top surface comprises a depression configured to receive at least a portion of the access device and/or the medical device (channel 44, Fig. 7b, col. 7, lines 7-20, where embodiment of Fig. 1 shares the channel feature with embodiment of Fig. 6, 7a-b).
Regarding claim 11, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1 wherein the bottom surface of one support block is contoured to fit a location on the patient and/or a body type of the patient (col. 10, lines 50-65; adjustment mechanism allows for positioning on the patient).
Regarding claim 12, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, wherein a rear surface comprises a groove configured to provide access to a fingertip (groove at 62a, Fig. 8, col. 8, lines 28-35, where embodiment in Figs. 3-5 share features with embodiment in Fig. 6-8).
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, 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 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bierman in view of Howell et al, US 2015/0224285 A1.
Regarding claims 4-5, Bierman discloses the support block according to claim 1, but is silent as to wherein the support block comprise an antiseptic filler that is either silver or chlorohexidine gluconate (CHG).
However, Howell, in the same field of art, teaches a medical securement device for placing a catheter (Fig. 10), where the device has a support with a dressing layer (400, 418), and the layer of the support has a antiseptic filler material that is silver (para [0108]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the block of Bierman with an antiseptic filler such as silver in order to provide the stated advantages of providing an antimicrobial agent to prevent infection (Howell, para [0108]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATRINA M STRANSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-3843. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm EST.
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/KATRINA M STRANSKY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3700
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