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 without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10, in the reply filed on November 25, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on November 25, 2025.
Drawings
The Applicant is reminded to carefully review the drawing figures and the accompanying specification to ensure that all reference numerals present in the drawing figures are defined within the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shah (U.S. 2018/0277970). Regarding claim 1, Shah discloses an implantable medical device 100 comprising: a housing 106 including electronic devices 132 within the housing (see Figure 4); a header 114 attached to the housing and including one or more bores (see annotated Figure 3 below); and a feedthrough assembly 102 between the housing and the header; wherein the electronic devices include a PCB 132 electronically connected to the header by a feedthrough wire 140a-c running from the feedthrough assembly to the PCB, wherein the feedthrough wire is connected to the PCB with a pigtail spring connector 120a-c (see Annotated Figure 3 below and Figure 4).
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Regarding claim 2, Shah discloses that the pigtail spring connector includes a curled shape (see annotated Figure 3 above).
Regarding claim 3, Shah discloses that the pigtail spring connector includes a coil shape (see annotated Figure 3 above).
Regarding claim 4, Shah discloses that the pigtail spring connector is attached to the PCB at a through-hole trace contact on a surface of the PCB (see annotated Figure 3 above).
Regarding claim 5, Shah discloses that the pigtail spring connector includes an axis extending perpendicularly to the PCB surface (see annotated Figure 3 above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shah (U.S. 2018/0277970, cited above). Regarding claim 6, Shah discloses the invention substantially as claimed, including that the pigtail spring connector includes a coil shape having an axis extending perpendicular from a surface of the PCB, wherein the coil shape defines a series of diameters (see annotated Figure 3 above). However, the coil shape of the pigtail spring connector of Shah defines a series of diameters that go from smaller to larger as the coil shape extends farther from the PCB surface, instead of the claimed going from larger to smaller as the coil shape extends farther from the PCB surface. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Shah such that the series of diameters go from larger to smaller as the coil shape extends farther from the PCB surface, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04
Regarding claim 7, Shah discloses that the pigtail spring connector includes a gold-coated wire coil (“the compressible contacts 120 can be formed from titanium, platinum, platinum-iridium alloy, nitinol (e.g., nickel-titanium alloy), niobium, gold, or any other biocompatible metal or alloy”, paragraph [0030]).
Claims 1-5 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marzano et al. (U.S. 2020/0203881) in view of Shah (U.S. 2018/0277970, cited above). Regarding claim 1, Marzano discloses an implantable medical device 12 comprising: a housing 32 including electronic devices 106 within the housing (see Figure 14); a header 118 attached to the housing and including one or more bores (see Figure 14); and a feedthrough assembly 22/24/26 between the housing and the header (see Figure 14 and “the AIMD hermetically sealed feedthrough 14 of the AIMD feedthrough connector assembly 10 of FIG. 1 and the filtered feedthrough assembly 22 of FIG. 3, comprises a an electrically conductive ferrule 26 comprising a ferrule opening extending to a ferrule body fluid side opposite a ferrule device side and an insulator 28 residing in the ferrule opening”, paragraph [0150]); wherein the electronic devices include a PCB 106 (“AIMD active electronic circuit boards 106”, paragraph [0124]) electronically connected to the header by a feedthrough wire 18 (“It is understood that the feedthrough wires mentioned are the terminal pins 18 taught herein”, paragraph [0132]) running from the feedthrough assembly to the PCB (see Figure 14), wherein the feedthrough wire is connected to the PCB with a spring connector 81/81’/81’’/81’’’/81’’’’ (see Figures 19 and 19A-D and “a compliant termination structure 81 having a spring-like elastically resilient press-in zone that can be inserted or ‘press fit’ into a conductive plated or terminated circuit board via hole 109 having circuit traces (not shown) routed to them”, paragraph [0246]). However, Marzano fails to disclose that the spring connector is a pigtail spring connector. Shah teaches an implantable medical device 100 comprising: a housing 106 including electronic devices 132 within the housing (see Figure 4); a header 114 attached to the housing and including one or more bores (see annotated Figure 3 below); and a feedthrough assembly 102 between the housing and the header; wherein the electronic devices include a PCB 132 electronically connected to the header by a feedthrough wire 140a-c running from the feedthrough assembly to the PCB, wherein the feedthrough wire is connected to the PCB with a pigtail spring connector 120a-c (see Annotated Figure 3 above and Figure 4). Shah further teaches that the pigtail spring connector 120a-c is an equivalent structure to a leaf spring (“compressible contact 500 is an example of the compressible contact 120 described herein. The compressible contact 500 is an example of a leaf spring contact”, paragraph [0057]) and a cantilever spring contact (“The compressible contact 600 is an example of the compressible contact 120 and the compressible contact 500 described herein. The compressible contact 600 is an example of a cantilever spring”, paragraph [0058]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Marzano to substitute the spring contact 81/81’/81’’/81’’’/81’’’’ with a pigtail spring connector, as taught by Shah, to yield the predictable result of electrical contact between the feedthrough pin and the PCB, as it has been held that simple substitution of one known element for another to yield predictable results requires routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007).
Regarding claim 2, Marzano discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but fails to disclose that the pigtail spring connector includes a curled shape. Shah teaches a pigtail spring connector 120a-c that includes a curled shape (see annotated Figure 3 above). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the spring contact of Marzano with a pigtail spring connector that includes a curled shape, as taught by Shah, as it has been held that simple substitution of one known element for another to yield predictable results requires routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007).
Regarding claim 3, Marzano discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but fails to disclose that the pigtail spring connector includes a coil shape. Shah teaches a pigtail spring connector 120a-c that includes a coil shape (see annotated Figure 3 above). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the spring contact of Marzano with a pigtail spring connector that includes a coil shape, as taught by Shah, as it has been held that simple substitution of one known element for another to yield predictable results requires routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007).
Regarding claim 4, Marzano discloses that the spring connector is attached to the PCB at a through-hole trace contact 109 on a surface of the PCB (see Figure 19).
Regarding claim 5, Marzano discloses that the spring connector includes an axis extending perpendicularly to the PCB surface (see annotated Figure 19 below).
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Regarding claim 8, Marzano discloses that the feedthrough wire 18’ extends through a central axis of the spring connector (see annotated Figure 19 above). However, Marzano fails to disclose a coil shape of the pigtail spring connector. Shah teaches a pigtail spring connector 120a-c that includes a coil shape (see annotated Figure 3 above). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the spring contact of Marzano with a pigtail spring connector that includes a coil shape, as taught by Shah, as it has been held that simple substitution of one known element for another to yield predictable results requires routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007). Such a configuration, where the spring connector of Marzano is replaced by a coil pigtail spring connector would result in the feedthrough wire contacting an inner surface of a coil shape of the pigtail spring connector
Regarding claim 9, Marzano discloses that the feedthrough wire extends through a through-hole 109 in the PCB and goes up though the spring connector and is tack welded to the spring connector (“The compliant termination structure 81′ may be monolithically formed when terminal pins 18, 18′ are formed (not shown), or alternatively may be separately formed and joined to terminal pins 18, 18′ by a weld or a braze (the weld or braze is labelled 144 in FIG. 19A).”, paragraph [0248]).
Regarding claim 10, Marzano fails to disclose that the pigtail spring connector includes a gold-coated wire coil. Shah teaches that the pigtail spring connector includes a gold-coated wire coil (“the compressible contacts 120 can be formed from titanium, platinum, platinum-iridium alloy, nitinol (e.g., nickel-titanium alloy), niobium, gold, or any other biocompatible metal or alloy”, paragraph [0030]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Marzano to include the pigtail spring connector including a gold-coated wire coil, as taught by Shah, as it has been held that simple substitution of one known element for another to yield predictable results requires routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMMIE K MARLEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1986. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8 am until 4 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carl Layno can be reached at 571-272-4949. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TAMMIE K MARLEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3796