Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/248,679

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING DEVICE, METHOD AND MEDICAL DEVICE THEREFOR

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Apr 11, 2023
Examiner
FLORES, ADRIAN
Art Unit
3774
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Kumovis GmbH
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 2m
To Grant

Examiner Intelligence

Grants only 0% of cases
0%
Career Allow Rate
0 granted / 0 resolved
-70.0% vs TC avg
Minimal +0% lift
Without
With
+0.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 2m
Avg Prosecution
14 currently pending
Career history
14
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
6.7%
-33.3% vs TC avg
§103
60.0%
+20.0% vs TC avg
§102
30.0%
-10.0% vs TC avg
§112
3.3%
-36.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 0 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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. Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. FILLIN "Insert series code and serial no. of parent." PCT/EP2021/078123 , filed on FILLIN "Enter the date filing of the parent application." 12 October 2021 (12.10.2021) . Election/Restrictions R EQUIREMENT FOR UNITY OF INVENTION As provided in 37 CFR 1.475(a), a national stage application shall relate to one invention only or to a group of inventions so linked as to form a single general inventive concept ("requirement of unity of invention"). Where a group of inventions is claimed in a national stage application, the requirement of unity of invention shall be fulfilled only when there is a technical relationship among those inventions involving one or more of the same or corresponding special technical features. The expression "special technical features" shall mean those technical features that define a contribution which each of the claimed inventions, considered as a whole, makes over the prior art. The determination whether a group of inventions is so linked as to form a single general inventive concept shall be made without regard to whether the inventions are claimed in separate claims or as alternatives within a single claim. See 37 CFR 1.475(e). Applicant's election with traverse of Group FILLIN "Enter claim indentification information" \* MERGEFORMAT III. Claims 13-22 in the reply filed on FILLIN "Enter mail date of the reply." \* MERGEFORMAT May 30, 2025. is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that FILLIN "Enter claim indentification information" \* MERGEFORMAT "that have not been established by the Office as failing to make a contribution over the prior art. " . This is not found persuasive because of the common t echnical feature a first material joined with a second material consisting of strands ( Pattinson US 20170165908 A1 , herein referred to as Pattinson) . Pattinson discloses a first material ( Abstract : “ (1) printing using a polymer (e.g., cellulose acetate) dissolved in a solvent (e.g., acetone); (2) selectively bonding portions of a deposited filament onto one or more surfaces and/or one or more previously deposited filaments; (3) using particular toolpaths to create a fabric or similar material by creating a woven pattern; and (4) printing across multiple layers even when previous layers are not complete ”) joined with a second material consisting of stands ( Fig 3b, warp filaments 117a’ and weft filaments 117b [0085]]) . The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. 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) FILLIN "Insert the claim numbers which are under rejection." \d "[ 1 ]" 13-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 FILLIN "Insert either \“(a)(1)\” or \“(a)(2)\” or both. If paragraph (a)(2) of 35 U.S.C. 102 is applicable, use form paragraph 7.15.01.aia, 7.15.02.aia or 7.15.03.aia where applicable." \d "[ 2 ]" (a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun et al. US 20150018968 A1, herein referred to as Sun . Regarding claim 13, Sun discloses wherein the medical device is obtained by an additive manufacturing process, according to claim 10, and wherein the medical device comprises at least a first material layer formed by one or more infill material strands; wherein the medical device comprises at least ( Fig 1A ) one second material layer formed by one or more infill material strands building on the first material layer ( Fig 1A-1E ) ; and wherein the first and/or second material layer is or are each formed exclusively by the one or more infill material strands (“ infill” as defined in [0018] of the instant application as “An infill material strand (also called infill web) is understood to be a material in strand form that is melted and extruded by an extrusion head (of the additive manufacturing device) in a continuous or timed manner, which is applied material layer by material layer and thus additively forms the component”; Sun teaches independent depositing of infill layers see [0061] ). Regarding claim 14, Sun discloses a medical device, wherein the medical device is obtained by an additive manufacturing process, according to claim 10, and wherein the medical device comprises at least a first material layer formed by one or more infill material strands ( Fig 3, [0040] and [0063] ) ; wherein the medical device comprises at least one second material layer formed by one or more infill material strands building on the first material layer ( Fig 3, [0040] and [0063] ) ; and wherein the first and/or second material layer is or are each formed exclusively by the one or more infill material strands ( Fig 3, [0040] and [0063] ) . Regarding claim 15, Sun discloses , wherein the second material layer in the forme d state has at least one second outer circumferential surface which externally bounds the second material layer ( Fig 3 ) , wherein at least the second outer circumferential surface is surface-treated [0053] . Regarding claim 16, Sun discloses t he medical device according to claim 14, wherein the first and/or second outer peripheral surface comprises an etch [0012]. Regarding claim 17, Sun discloses t he medical device according to claim 16, wherein the first and/or second outer peripheral surface has a coating ( Figs 3 and 4, Sun teaches using coating in a plurality of layers see [0021] & [0066] . Regarding claim 18, Sun discloses wherein the first material layer and/or the second material layer each has a layer thickness in a range from about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm (Sun teaches a “1200 Dalton” layer, approximately 0.03 mm [0081]. While Sun does not teach the specific range, the claimed ranges are within the ranges taught by Sun) . Regarding claim 19, wherein the one or more infill material strands of the first material layer and/or the second material layer each has or have a strand thickness in a range of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm ([00 84] “100 microns” While Sun does not teaches the specific range, the claimed ranges are within the ranges taught by Sun ) . Regarding claim 20, wherein the one or more infill material strands of the first material layer and the second material layer is or are each straight (Fig 4) and/or curved ( Fig 1E, curved terminals ) . Regarding claim 21, the medical device according to claim 13, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer each comprise at least one medically compatible plastic and/or at least one plastic that is absorbable by the human or animal body ( [0055] and [0050] “ acrylamide-based polymers ” . Regarding claim 22, wherein the first material layer is formed exclusively by the one or more infill material strands ( [0062] teaches independent nozzles for independent layering) and wherein the second material layer, when formed, has at least one second outer peripheral surface which externally bounds the second material layer , wherein one or more perimeter material strands are formed along the second outer peripheral surface ([ 0058 ] when used in culture as taught by Sun the second layer’s perimeter will bind to adjacent tissues) . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT Adrian Flores whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-1450 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT M-F, 9-5 . Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Melanie Tyson can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571) 272-9062 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /A.F./ Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3774 /THOMAS C BARRETT/ SPE, Art Unit 3799
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Prosecution Timeline

Apr 11, 2023
Application Filed
Feb 20, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
Grant Probability
3y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 0 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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