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 .
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Villavicencio (US 20200324122 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Villavicencio discloses an implantable medical device (Abstract discloses an implantable pulse generator) comprising:
a housing including electronic devices within the housing (Par. 0034 teaches a housing [24] that includes electrical contacts);
a header attached to the housing and including one or more bores (Par. 0034 teaches a header [40] comprising a bore [31]);
a wire extending from the housing into the header and coupled to an electrical contact within the bore (Fig 2a shows the wires extending from the housing to the bore, see Par. 0046 and 0049 also) and
a wire clip configured to position and retain the wire relative to the header (Par. 0035 and Fig 6-7 show a quadripolar subassembly [48], i.e. wire clip).
In regards to claims 2-3 and 5, Villavicencio discloses the implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the wire clip includes a channel having an overhang/protrusion to retain the wire, wherein the wire clip includes the overhang on only one side of the channel (Fig 7 and Par. 0067-0068 teach the subassembly having a support [100] that acts as a retaining means)
In regards to claim 4, Villavicencio discloses the implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the wire clip includes a cut-out portion in a bottom surface of the channel beneath the overhang (Fig 7 shows a cut out 130a/b).
In regards to claims 6 and 7, Villavicencio discloses the implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the wire clip attaches to a post extending from a top of the housing, wherein the post includes a retention head (Fig 6 and 7 show the subassembly [48], i.e. clip, extending from the housing).
In regards to claim 8, Villavicencio discloses the implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the wire clip includes a separate retaining member that is attached to the wire clip so as to overhang a channel in the wire clip (Par. 0067 teaches retaining means).
In regards to claim 9, Villavicencio discloses the implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the wire clip includes a pair of resilient springs, comprising a first resilient spring extending at least partway over a channel in the wire clip and a second resilient spring extending from an opposite side of the channel at least partway over the channel, wherein the first resilient spring and the second resilient spring overlap each other (Par. 0057 disclose spring contacts).
In regards to claim 10, Villavicencio discloses the implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of wires extend from a feedthrough assembly and are coupled to different electrical contacts within the bore and the wire clip includes a plurality of channels for each separate wire of the plurality of wires (Par. 0046 teaches a feedthrough assembly for the wires to go into channels)
In regards to claims 11 and 17, Villavicencio discloses a wire positioning device for an implantable medical device (Abstract), wherein the wire positioning device comprises:
a wire clip attached to a housing of the implantable medical device (Par. 0035 and Fig 6-7 show a quadripolar subassembly [48], i.e. wire clip. Par. 0034 teaches a housing [24]);
a channel extending along the wire clip for holding a wire extending from the housing to to a contact within a bore of a header of the implantable medical device (Fig 6-7 show an extension [100] from the clip to hold wires. Par. 0034 teaches a header [40] and a bore [31]); and
a retention member to retain the wire within the channel relative to the header (Par. 0067-0068).
In regards to claims 12 and 13, Villavicencio discloses the wire positioning device of claim 11, wherein the wire clip includes a channel having an overhang positioned to retain the wire, wherein the wire clip includes the overhang on only one side of the channel (Fig 7 and Par. 0067-0068 teach the subassembly having a support [100] that acts as a retaining means)
In regards to claims 14 and 18 Villavicencio discloses the wire positioning device of claim 13/17, wherein the wire clip includes a cut-out portion in a bottom surface of the channel beneath the overhang (Fig 7 shows a cut out 130a/b).
In regards to claims 15 and 19, Villavicencio discloses the wire positioning device of claim 11/17 wherein the retention member includes a separate retaining member that is attached to the wire clip so as to overhang the channel (Par. 0067 teaches retaining means).
In regards to claims 16 and 20, Villavicencio discloses the wire positioning device of claim 11/17 wherein the retention member includes a pair of resilient springs, comprising a first resilient spring extending at least partway over the channel and a second resilient spring extending from an opposite side of the channel at least partway over the channel, wherein the first resilient spring and the second resilient spring overlap each other (Par. 0057 disclose spring contacts).
Conclusion
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/S.L.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3792
/MICHAEL W KAHELIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3792