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 .
Status of Claims
This office action is responsive to the application filed 11 May 2026.
Claims 12 and 13 are added.
Claims 1, 3-6, 9, and 11 amended.
Claims 1-11 are presently pending in this application.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Travis et al. (US Patent Publication No. 20230256158 A1), hereinafter Travis.
Regarding claim 1, Travis teaches an infusion pump (Travis: Fig. 13, infusion pump system 100) for feeding a drug (medical fluids; para. 0032), the infusion pump (100) comprising: a main body portion (Fig. 13, pump module 130) comprising a first engagement portion (Fig. 16, latch 1650 extends from module 130; para. 0045); and a main body mounting portion (Fig. 13, door assembly 131) comprising a second engagement portion (Fig. 16, door securement 1500) configured to engage with the first engagement portion (Fig. 16, latch portal 1538 of securement 1500 receives latch 1650); wherein: the main body portion (130) and the main body mounting portion (131) are configured to feed a drug (para. 0032) in an infusion tube (Fig. 13, tube set 140) by sandwiching the infusion tube (140) therebetween (Fig. 13, door assembly 131 closes and sandwiches the tube set 140 between the module 130 and the assembly 131; para. 0038); the main body mounting portion (131) is mounted on the main body portion (130) by engaging the first engagement portion (1650) and the second engagement portion (door assembly 131 mounts to the module 131 via latch portal 1538 of securement 1500 receiving latch 1650); and the first engagement portion (1650) and the second engagement portion (1500) are engaged with each other by movement of the second engagement portion (1500) by elastic force (Fig. 16, latch 1650 engages with eye 1554 of the sliding carriage 1550, which is biased by spring 1606; para. 0045-0046) in conjunction with a mounting operation (latch 1650 is moved into the secured position when the door assembly 131 is closed; para. 0038 and 0045-0046) in which the main body portion (130) and the main body mounting portion (131) approach each other (para. 0038 and 0045-0046) with the infusion tube (140) sandwiched therebetween (Fig. 13, door assembly 131 closes and sandwiches the tube set 140 between the module 130 and the assembly 131; para. 0038), wherein the engagement occurs only after the first engagement portion (1650) has climbed over the second engagement portion (1500) during the mounting operation (Fig. 16, Examiner interprets that, in order for the latch 1650 to engage with the securement 1500, the eye 1554 must contact the slanted surface of latch 1650, which causes the carriage 1550 to climb downward over the latch 1650 slanted surface and engage within eye 1554; para. 0045).
Regarding claim 2, Travis teaches the infusion pump above, wherein the second engagement portion (1500) is configured to be moved by an elastic force (Fig. 16, latch 1650 engages with eye 1554 of the sliding carriage 1550, which is biased by spring 1606; para. 0045-0046) in a direction intersecting a moving direction (Fig. 16, carriage 1550 is moved by the engagement of the latch 1650 with eye 1554 in a longitudinal direction, which intersects the lateral movement of the latch 1650 from the closing of door assembly 131; para. 0045-0046) of the main body portion (130) and the main body mounting portion (131) in the mounting operation (para. 0038 and 0045-0046).
Regarding claim 3, Travis teaches the infusion pump above, wherein: the second engagement portion (1500) comprises a claw portion (Fig. 16, eye 1554; Examiner interprets that the eye 1554 is a claw, as it performs the same function and has a similar structure of engaging with the latch 1650 during the mounting operation as the present invention) configured to engage with the first engagement portion (1650), an annular portion (Fig. 16, carriage 1550) to which the capture portion (1554) is attached (Fig. 16, eye 1554 is attached to carriage 1550), a shaft (Fig. 16, shaft 1608) penetrating the annular portion (Fig. 16, shaft 1608 penetrates carriage 1550), and an elastic portion (Fig. 16, spring 1606) configured to bias the annular portion (1550) in a longitudinal direction of the shaft (Fig. 16, carriage 1550 is biased in a longitudinal direction of the shaft 1608; para. 0046); and the second engagement portion (1500) is configured to engage with the first engagement portion (1650) by the capture portion (1554) and the annular portion (1550) moving in the longitudinal direction of the shaft (1608) by an elastic force of the elastic portion (Fig. 16, carriage 1550 is moved by the engagement of the latch 1650 with eye 1554, biased by spring 1606, in a longitudinal direction; para. 0045-0046).
Regarding claim 9, Travis teaches the infusion pump above, wherein: the annular portion (Fig. 16, carriage 1550) is a cylindrical portion (carriage 1550 is interpreted by the examiner to be cylindrical, as the carriage 1550 performs the same function and has a similar structure to the cylindrical portion of the present invention).
Regarding claim 10, Travis teaches an infusion pump (100) for feeding a drug (para. 0032), the infusion pump (100) comprising: a main body portion (Fig. 13, door assembly 131) comprising a first engagement portion (Fig. 16, door securement 1500), wherein the first engagement portion (1500) comprises: a claw portion (Fig. 16, eye 1554; Examiner interprets that the eye 1554 is a claw, as it performs the same function and has a similar structure of engaging with the latch 1650 during the mounting operation as the present invention), a cylindrical portion (Fig. 16, carriage 1550 is interpreted by the examiner to be cylindrical, as the carriage 1550 performs the same function and has a similar structure to the cylindrical portion of the present invention) to which the claw portion (1554) is attached (eye 1554 is attached to carriage 1550), a shaft (1608) penetrating the cylindrical portion (1608 penetrates 1550), and an elastic portion (1606) configured to bias the cylindrical portion (1550) in a longitudinal direction of the shaft (carriage 1550 is biased in a longitudinal direction of the shaft 1608; para. 0046); and a main body mounting portion (Fig. 13, pump module 130) comprising a second engagement portion (Fig. 16, latch 1650) configured to engage with the first engagement portion (1650 engages 1500), wherein the second engagement portion (1650) comprises: a protrusion (Fig. 16, latch 1650 is shaped to be a protrusion) having an opening (Fig. 16, latch 1650 is shaped to be a protrusion with a hook opening); wherein: the main body portion (131) and the main body mounting portion (130) are configured to feed a drug (para. 0032) in an infusion tube (140) by sandwiching the infusion tube (140) therebetween (door assembly 131 closes and sandwiches the tube set 140 between the module 130 and the assembly 131; para. 0038); the main body mounting portion (130) is mounted on the main body portion (130) by engaging the first engagement portion (1500) and the second engagement portion (door assembly 131 mounts to the module 131 via latch portal 1538 of securement 1500 receiving latch 1650); and the first engagement portion (1500) and the second engagement portion (1650) are engaged with each other by movement of the first engagement portion (1500) by elastic force (Fig. 16, latch 1650 engages with eye 1554 of the sliding carriage 1550, which is biased by spring 1606; para. 0045-0046) in conjunction with a mounting operation (latch 1650 is moved into the secured position when the door assembly 131 is closed; para. 0038 and 0045-0046) in which the main body portion (131) and the main body mounting portion (130) approach each other (para. 0038 and 0045-0046) with the infusion tube (140) sandwiched therebetween (Fig. 13, door assembly 131 closes and sandwiches the tube set 140 between the module 130 and the assembly 131; para. 0038.
Regarding claim 11, Travis teaches a method of operating an infusion pump (100) for feeding a drug (para. 0032), the method comprising: providing the infusion pump (100), which comprises: a main body portion (130) comprising a first engagement portion (1650); and a main body mounting portion (131) comprising a second engagement portion (1500) configured to engage with the first engagement portion (1500 engages with 1650); performing a mounting operation (para. 0038 and 0045-0046) in which the main body portion (130) and the main body mounting portion (131) approach each other (para. 0038 and 0045-0046) with the infusion tube (140) sandwiched therebetween (Fig. 13, door assembly 131 closes and sandwiches the tube set 140 between the module 130 and the assembly 131; para. 0038), thereby causing the first engagement portion (130) and the second engagement portion (131) to engage with each other by movement of the second engagement portion (1500) by elastic force (Fig. 16, latch 1650 engages with eye 1554 of the sliding carriage 1550, which is biased by spring 1606; para. 0045-0046), and thereby mounting the main body mounting portion (131) on the main body portion (para. 0038 and 0045-0046); and feeding a drug (para. 0032) in the infusion tube (140) sandwiched (para. 0038) between the main body portion (130) and the main body mounting portion (131), wherein the engagement occurs only after the first engagement portion (1650) has climbed over the second engagement portion (1500) during the mounting operation (Fig. 16, Examiner interprets that, in order for the latch 1650 to engaged with the securement 1500, the eye 1554 must contact the slanted surface of latch 1650, which causes the carriage 1550 to climb downward over the latch 1650 slanted surface and engage within eye 1554; para. 0045).
Regarding claim 12, Travis teaches the infusion pump above, wherein: the engagement that occurs only after the first engagement portion (1650) has climbed over the second engagement portion (1500) during the mounting operation (para. 0045) is caused by a restoring force of the elastic member (spring 1606 provides biasing for securement 1500, which, once the carriage 1550 climbs downward over the latch 1650 slanted surface, engages as a result of the restoring force; para. 0046).
Regarding claim 13, Travis teaches the infusion pump above, wherein: after initiation of the mounting operation (para. 0045), the engagement occurs without further operation by a user (restoring force of spring 1606 results in engagement of 1500 to 1650 without further operation by user; para. 0046).
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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Travis in view of Bruggemann et al. (US Patent Publication No. 20120271233 A1), hereinafter Bruggemann.
Regarding claim 6, Travis discloses the device above.
Travis does not expressly disclose the first engagement portion comprises a housing provided with an opening portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the main body mounting portion in the mounting operation; the second engagement portion comprises: an insertion portion comprising a concave portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction, and a movement portion protruding from the concave portion by a protrusion amount that is variable by the movement portion moving in the concave portion; and the second engagement portion is configured to engage with the first engagement portion by the movement portion varying the protrusion amount from the concave portion in the mounting operation and entering the opening portion of the housing.
Bruggemann et al. (US Patent Publication No. 20120271233 A1) teaches a first engagement portion (Bruggemann: Fig. 1, comprising cover 7 and recess 7.1) comprises a housing (Fig. 1, cover 7) provided with an opening portion (Fig. 3, recess 7.1) extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of a main body mounting portion (Fig. 1, cartridge holder 5) in a mounting operation (Fig. 1-4, recess 7.1 extends perpendicular to moving direction of holder 5); a second engagement portion (Fig. 1, control unit 1) comprises: an insertion portion (Fig. 1, case 13) comprising a concave portion (Fig. 1, opening of case 13) extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction (opening 13 extends perpendicular to moving direction of holder 5), and a movement portion (Fig. 1, latching means 17) protruding from a portion (opening of 13) by a protrusion amount that is variable by the movement portion moving in the portion (Fig. 1-4, latching means 17 protrudes out from case 13 by an amount that depends on its movement); and the second engagement portion (1) is configured to engage with the first engagement portion (7 and 7.1) by the movement portion (17) varying the protrusion amount from the concave portion (13) in the mounting operation (Fig. 1-4, latching means 17 protrudes out from case 13 by an amount that depends on its movement, which is caused by engagement of the means 17 to the recess 7.1) and entering the opening portion (7.1) of the housing (7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device of Travis such that the first engagement portion comprises a housing provided with an opening portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the main body mounting portion in the mounting operation; the second engagement portion comprises: an insertion portion comprising a concave portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction, and a movement portion protruding from the concave portion by a protrusion amount that is variable by the movement portion moving in the concave portion; and the second engagement portion is configured to engage with the first engagement portion by the movement portion varying the protrusion amount from the concave portion in the mounting operation and entering the opening portion of the housing as taught by Bruggemann in order to allow for latching and unlatching that allows for the implementation of a detection device to detect successful latching (para. 0019).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 7, and 8 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 4, Travis discloses the device above, but does not expressly disclose an elongated hole extending in a direction inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction is formed in the annular portion; the shaft includes a protrusion portion inserted into the elongated hole; and the annular portion is configured to move in the longitudinal direction by rotating relative to the shaft.
Lanigan et al. (US Patent No. 5931033 A) teaches an elongated hole (Lanigan: Fig. 14, catch of upper member 89) extending in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 14, catch of 89 extends longitudinally across 89) formed in an annular portion (Fig. 14, upper member 89) and a protrusion (Fig. 14, pin 102) is inserted into the elongated hole (Fig. 14, pin 102 moves within catch of 89), but does not disclose that the elongated hole extending in a direction inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction; and the annular portion is configured to move in the longitudinal direction by rotating relative to the shaft. It would not have been obvious to combine Travis with Lanigan to create the device as claimed.
This limitation was found to be allowable over the prior art. The cited references taken singly or in combination do not anticipate or make obvious the applicant’s claim.
Regarding claim 7, Travis in view of Bruggemann discloses the device above, but does not disclose that the first engagement portion further comprises: movement engagement portion that is movable in a moving direction of the movement portion and is engageable with the movement portion, and a pushing portion configured to push out the movement engagement portion toward the movement portion; and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are released by the pushing portion pushing out the movement engagement portion toward the movement portion and the movement portion moving out of the opening portion of the housing.
This limitation was found to be allowable over the prior art. The cited references taken singly or in combination do not anticipate or make obvious the applicant’s claim.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 11 May 2026, with respect to the objection to claim 5 has been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claim 5 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 11 May 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 3-9 under 35 USC 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 3-9 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7-11, filed 11 May 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1-3 and 9-11 under 35 USC 102 and 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of an alternative interpretation of Travis.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 LEI GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (703)756-5908. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am - 4:00pm (CT).
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/LEI GONZALEZ/ Examiner, Art Unit 3783
/SCOTT J MEDWAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783
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