Last updated: October 02, 2026

Application No. 18/198,656

ENDOPROSTHESIS HAVING ALIGNED LEGS FOR EASE OF CANNULATION

Non-Final OA

Filed

May 17, 2023

Priority

Feb 14, 2012 — provisional 61/598,773 +4 more

Examiner

LABRANCHE, BROOKE N

Art Unit

3771

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

W. L. Gore & Associates Inc.

OA Round

3 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +15.7% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 73% grant rate with +15.7% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 472 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LABRANCHE, BROOKE N View full profile →

Grants 73% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

343 granted / 472 resolved

+2.7% vs TC avg

Strong +16% interview lift

Without

With

+15.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 0m

Avg Prosecution

74 currently pending

Career history

544

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.6%

-39.4% vs TC avg

§103

44.7%

+4.7% vs TC avg

§102

31.1%

-8.9% vs TC avg

§112

20.3%

-19.7% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 472 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Show 3 earlier events

Feb 06, 2026

Interview Requested

Feb 12, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Feb 12, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Feb 20, 2026

Response Filed

Mar 11, 2026

Final Rejection mailed

Jun 11, 2026

Request for Continued Examination

Jun 22, 2026

Response after Non-Final Action

Aug 21, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/969,128

Patent 12740799

DIRECTABLE TRACTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

1y 9m to grant Granted Sep 22, 2026

18/283,549

Patent 12727963

INTEGRATED RFID TAG IN A MANUAL INSTRUMENT

2y 11m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026

18/889,372

Patent 12727956

END TOOL FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT

1y 11m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026

18/408,196

Patent 12708397

REPLACEABLE SURGICAL SCISSOR BLADES FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

2y 7m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026

17/368,715

Patent 12702394

DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR TREATING THE LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE

5y 1m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

3-4

Expected OA Rounds

73%

Grant Probability

88%

With Interview (+15.7%)

3y 0m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

High

PTA Risk

Based on 472 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.