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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/13/2026 has been entered: Claims 1, 3-5, 8-10, 18, and 20 remain pending in the present application and are examined on the merits. Claim 1 is amended.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/17/2026 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 8 is 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.
Claim 8 recites the window comprising a transparent tubular portion of the housing while claim 1 recites a transparent tubular side wall. This appears to indicate a transparent portion and window that is distinct from the transparent tubular side wall recited in claim 1, which would be inconsistent with Applicant’s disclosure. Applicant should make appropriate corrections to avoid confusion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-5, 9-10, 18, and 20 are allowed.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Reasons for allowance were indicated in the Notice of Allowance mailed 6/17/2026, incorporated herein.
Further, Deville et al. (US 2022/0160380 A1), cited in Applicant’s IDS filed 9/17/2026, discloses a highly analogous clot capture chamber including a transparent window (Fig. 18), but does not disclose any portions of said chamber being removably coupled to one another. While generic separability may be within ordinary skill in the art, dividing the clot capture camber such that the distal housing is separable from the transparent tubular side wall while the transparent tubular side wall and filter are carried by the proximal housing does not appear explicitly obvious.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALESSANDRO R DEL PRIORE whose telephone number is (571)272-9902. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:30.
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/ALESSANDRO R DEL PRIORE/Examiner, Art Unit 3781
/GUY K TOWNSEND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3781
