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 allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 7/9/2026 has been entered.
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, 7-11, 16, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bonner et al (US Patent 10,238,865), cited in IDS filed 7/9/2026.
Referring to Claim 1, Bonner et al teaches a fixation component for an implantable medical device (IMD), comprising: a base defining a longitudinal axis of the fixation component, wherein the base is configured to be fixedly attached to the IMD (e.g. Figure 3A with base 311); and a plurality of tines (e.g. Figures 3A-3B, tines 341 and 342) configured to affix the fixation component to a tissue, wherein each tine of the plurality of tines defines a proximal section extending distally from the base and a second section extending laterally from the proximal section along a reference plane transverse to the longitudinal axis in a same direction relative to the base (e.g. Figure 3, tines 341 and 34a).
Referring to Claim 7, Bonner et al teaches the fixation component of claim 1, wherein the same direction comprises a first direction, wherein the second section of each tine of the plurality of tines comprises a distal section of the each tine, wherein the proximal section of each tine of the plurality of tines extends distally from the base and in a second direction, and wherein a curved section of each tine of the plurality of tines extends from the proximal section of each tine to the distal section of each tine extending along the reference plane in the first direction, and wherein the first direction is different from the second direction (e.g. Figure 3A tines 341 and 342).
Referring to Claim 8, Bonner et al teaches the fixation component of claim 7, wherein a reference axis extending along the first direction is parallel to the longitudinal axis, the reference axis being separate from the reference plane (e.g. Figure 3A).
Referring to Claim 9, Bonner et al teaches the fixation component of claim 7, wherein a reference axis extending along the first direction is separated from the longitudinal axis by an angle of up to 5 degrees (e.g. Figure 3A).
Referring to Claim 10, Bonner et al teaches the fixation component of claim 7, wherein the first direction and the second direction are separated by an angle of 90 degrees to 145 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis (e.g. Figure 3A).
Referring to Claim 11, Bonner et al teaches an implantable medical device (IMD), comprising :a housing extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8, housing 310); an elongate leadlet mounted in proximity to the distal end of the housing and extending distally from the housing, wherein a distal end of the leadlet comprises a first electrode (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8, electrode 32); a second electrode mounted in proximity to the distal end of the housing (e.g. Figure 8, electrode 82); and a fixation component comprising: a base defining a longitudinal axis of the fixation component, wherein the base is configured to be fixedly attached to the IMD (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8, base 311); and wherein each tine of the plurality of tines defines a proximal section extending distally from the base and a second section extending laterally from the proximal section along a reference plane transverse to the longitudinal axis in a same direction relative to the base (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8 tines 341 and 342).
Referring to Claim 16, Bonner et al teaches the IMD of claim 11, wherein the same direction comprises a first direction, wherein the second section of each tine of the plurality of tines comprises a distal section of the each tine, wherein the proximal section of each tine of the plurality of tines extends distally from the base and in a second direction, and wherein a curved section of each tine of the plurality of tines extends from the proximal section of each tine extending from the proximal section of each tine and a to the distal section of each tine extending along the reference plane in the first direction, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction (e.g. Figure 3A tines 341 and 342).
Referring to Claim 17, Bonner et al teaches a medical device system comprising: an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising: a housing extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8, housing 310); an elongate leadlet mounted in proximity to the distal end of the housing and extending distally from the housing, wherein a distal end of the leadlet comprises a first electrode (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8, electrode 32); a second electrode mounted in proximity to the distal end of the housing (e.g. Figure 8, electrode 82); and a fixation component comprising a base in proximity to the distal end of the housing (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8, base 311), and a plurality of tines fixedly attached spaced from one another around a perimeter of the distal end of the housing, wherein each tine of the plurality of tines defines a first section extending distally from the base and a second section extending from the first section (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8 tines 341 and 342); and a delivery tool comprising a tubular sidewall that defines a lumen into which the IMD may be loaded, wherein the lumen having a distal opening through which the IMD may be deployed, and wherein the delivery tool is configured to retain the plurality of tines in a deformed configuration (e.g. Figures 5A and 5C, delivery tool 500 and Column 5 lines 52-Column 6 line 5), wherein when the plurality of tines is within an undeformed configuration outside of the delivery tool, the second section of each tine of the plurality of tines extends laterally from the proximal section along a reference plane transverse to the longitudinal axis in a same direction relative to the base (e.g. Figures 3A, 3B, and 8 tines 341 and 342).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 12-15, and 18-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Eggen et al (US Publication 2016/0059003) discloses a fixation element with a base and a plurality of tines wherein the plurality of tines define a proximal section extending distally form the base and a section extending laterally form the proximal section along a reference plane transverse to the longitudinal axis.
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/William J Levicky/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3796
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