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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of the invention of Group I in the reply filed 6/9/2026, is acknowledged.
Applicant's traversal is on the grounds that search and examination of the entire application can be made without serious burden to the Examiner. Applicant's traversal has been carefully considered, but fails to establish error in the propriety of the present requirement for restriction and election. Though Applicant asserts that examination of all pending claims would not pose an undue burden on the Examiner, such is not an accurate assertion in light of the disparate nature of the presently claimed subject matter as noted in the Requirement for Restriction of 4/29/2026.
Consideration of the plurality of inventions that Applicant has claimed would significantly compromise and preclude a quality examination on the merits. Furthermore, execution of a search encompassing the entirety of Applicant's inventions would not only constitute an undue burden on the Examiner, but consideration of the findings of such a search in accordance with the requirements of the law under 35 U.S.C. §§101,102, 103 and 112 would be unduly onerous.
Moreover, it is further noted that a comprehensive search for the presently claimed subject matter is not solely limited to a search of the classes and subclasses in which they are classified. Therefore, it is obvious that a comprehensive search of the copious amounts of patent and non-patent literature for each of the patentably distinct inventions and their permutations presently claimed would necessarily place an undue burden on the Examiner.
Therefore, for the reasons above and those made of record in the Requirement for Restriction of 4/29/2026, the restriction requirement is deemed proper and is made FINAL.
Claims 14-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 C.F.R. 1.142(b), as being to non-elected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9, and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Landon et al. (Pub. No.: US 2017/0367821 A1; hereinafter “Landon”).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 1: a stent loading system (200), used for loading a stent into a sheath (para. 0048), wherein the stent comprises a stent body (302), an outer periphery (Fig. 20) of one end of the stent body is provided with at least one hook (310), and the stent loading system comprises: a hook straightener (214), used for straightening the at least one hook on the stent (paras. 0079-0080); and a compressor (212), wherein the stent on which the at least one hook is straightened is reduced in diameter and crimped through the compressor (paras. 0080-0081), and the stent crimped is delivered into a preloaded tube (Figs. 14-15; paras. 0080-0081); wherein the stent is connected with a delivery system penetrating in the sheath, and the stent in the preloaded tube is delivered into the sheath under the traction of the delivery system (Figs. 14-15, 21; paras. 0080-0081). Please note that a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim.
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 2: the stent loading system according to claim 1, further comprising a reducer (202) having a reducer section with an inner diameter decreasing gradually (Figs. 14-15), wherein the reducer is disposed between the preloaded tube and the sheath (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21), and the stent in the preloaded tube is delivered into the sheath after being further reduced in diameter through the reducer section (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21; paras. 0080-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 3: the stent loading system according to claim 2, wherein an outer periphery of the other end of the stent is provided with a flange portion (308); a large-diameter end of the reducer section is butted and communicated with the preloaded tube, and a small-diameter end thereof is butted and communicated with the sheath (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21); an inner diameter of the small-diameter end is approximately no greater than an inner diameter of the sheath; the stent is reduced in diameter when passing through the small-diameter end of the reducer, such that a diameter of the stent is smaller than the inner diameter of the sheath (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21; paras. 0074-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 4: the stent loading system according to claim 3, wherein the hook straightener comprises: a base having a first channel (spaces between ribs) with openings at both ends in an axial direction, wherein one end of the first channel is an inlet end, the other end is an outlet end (Figs. 14-15), and an end surface of the inlet end is provided with at least one hook groove (inlet end opening of channel); the stent is loaded in the first channel, one end of the stent is provided with the at least one hook is located outside the inlet end, and the at least one hook is extending into the at least one hook groove (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21; paras. 0080-0081); a propeller (208) having a second channel (central opening) with an opening at one end in the axial direction (Fig. 16), and a propulsion column (204) is coaxially disposed in the second channel (Fig. 15); wherein the base is mounted movably in the second channel from the opening of the second channel in the axial direction, and an end surface of the propulsion column abuts against an end surface of the stent provided with the at least one hook (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21; paras. 0080-0081); the base moves toward the propeller, and the propulsion column moves the stent toward the outlet end while the at least one hook being straightened between an inner wall of the first channel and an outer wall of the propulsion column (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21; paras. 0080-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 5: the stent loading system according to claim 4, wherein an outer wall (208) of the base is connected with an inner wall of the second channel by threads (234), such that the base can be rotated to realize axial movement with the propeller (Figs. 14-15; para. 0076); or an outer wall of the base is connected movably with an inner wall of the second channel in the axial direction by a rail assembly, such that the base can be pulled in the axial direction to realize axial movement with the propeller.
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 6: the stent loading system according to claim 4, wherein the end surface of the propulsion column facing toward one end of the base is provided with an inner recess (Figs. 14-15, 18-19), and a hook straightening section is formed around the inner recess (Figs. 14-15, 18-19; paras. 0080-0081); an end portion of the stent extends into the inner recess, and the hook straightening section is placed between the stent and the at least one hook (Figs. 14-15, 18-19; paras. 0080-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 7: the stent loading system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one protective tube (406), wherein the at least one protective tube penetrates through a center of the stent in the axial direction before the stent is crimped by the compressor.
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 9: the stent loading system according to claim 3, wherein both ends of the reducer section are coaxially provided with a preloaded tube mounting section (posterior section) and a sheath mounting section (anterior section) respectively, an inner diameter of the preloaded tube mounting section is equal to an inner diameter of the large-diameter end of the reducer section (Figs. 14-15, 18-19), and an inner diameter of the sheath mounting section is not smaller than an inner diameter of the small-diameter end of the reducer section (Figs. 14-15); the preloaded tube is mounted in the preloaded tube mounting section, and the sheath is mounted in the sheath mounting section (paras. 0080-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 11: the stent loading system according to claim 3, wherein a side wall (lower side wall) of the reducer is provided with an adjustment port (central opening of element 204, upon assembly), and the adjustment port is extended parallel to the axial direction of the reducer (Figs. 14-15); when the stent passes through the reducer, the flange portion is stuck, and the stent can be adjusted by penetrating through the adjustment port with a toggling sheet (228) (paras. 0074-0076, 0080-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 12: the stent loading system according to claim 1, wherein a delivery portion of the delivery system is mounted movably in the sheath, and one end of the delivery portion extends out of the outer sheath to be connected with the stent crimped; then the preloaded tube is sleeved on the stent, followed by mounting the reducer onto the preloaded tube and the outer sheath; the delivery portion moves to pull the stent out of the protective tube for entering into the sheath after passing through the reducer (Figs. 14-15, 18-19, 21; paras. 0074-0081).
Landon discloses the following regarding claim 13: the stent loading system according to claim 12, wherein the delivery portion is provided with a hanging hook base (404), and through a hanging hook (308) on one end of the stent, the stent crimped is hung to the hanging hook base to realize connection (Figs. 21; paras. 0074-0081).
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(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mei et al. (WO 2020/151538 A1; hereinafter “Mei”).
Landon discloses the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above. However, it does not recite a plurality of protective tubes with diameters gradually decreasing from large to small, wherein at first, the protective tubes with a large diameter are selected to penetrate through in the stent for crimping, and then the protective tubes with a smaller diameter are gradually selected to penetrate through in the stent for crimping. Mei teaches that it is well known in the art that a plurality of protective tubes with diameters gradually decreasing from large to small, wherein at first, the protective tubes with a large diameter are selected to penetrate through in the stent for crimping, and then the protective tubes with a smaller diameter are gradually selected to penetrate through in the stent for crimping (Figs. 17-20; pgs. 7, 11-13 of the provided translation), for the purpose of more easily and safely contracting the stent to the appropriate size needed for the implantation site. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Landon to comprise the protective sheaths, taught by Mei, in order to more easily and safely contract the stent to the appropriate size needed for the implantation site. Such a modification would be made with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (Patent No.: US 10,098,769 B2; hereinafter “Liu”).
Landon discloses the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above. However, it does not recite the reducer is composed of two semi-reducers in a radial direction, and the two semi-reducers are fixed by connecting members at both ends after being assembled. Liu teaches that it is well known in the art that a stent reducer comprises two semi-reducers (e.g., 3, 103) in a radial direction that are fixed by connecting members at both ends after being assembled (Figs. 10-12; col. 4, lines 15-46; col. 6, lines 51-col. 7, lines 5), for the purpose of further reducing the stent to the appropriate size needed for the implantation site. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Landon to comprise two semi-reducers, as taught by Liu, in order to reduce the stent to the appropriate size needed for the implantation site. Such a modification would be made with a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ann Hu whose telephone number is (571) 272-6652. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (9:00 am-5:30 pm EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, please contact the examiner’s supervisor, Jerrah Edwards, at (408) 918-7557. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/ANN HU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3774
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