Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/427,333

PUMP CONTROLLER AND CONTROL METHOD WITH TEMPERATURE INTEGRATION AND/OR COMPLIANCE DETERMINATION

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Jan 30, 2024
Priority
Apr 05, 2023 — provisional 63/494,458
Examiner
KHAN, OMER S
Art Unit
2686
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Fresenius Kabi Usa LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
55%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
7m
Est. Remaining
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 55% of resolved cases
55%
Career Allowance Rate
336 granted / 609 resolved
-6.8% vs TC avg
Strong +41% interview lift
Without
With
+40.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 3m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
637
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.3%
-35.7% vs TC avg
§103
58.1%
+18.1% vs TC avg
§102
4.9%
-35.1% vs TC avg
§112
22.1%
-17.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 609 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
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 . This communication is in response to request filed on 06/19/2026. In the application claims 1, 3, 5-11, 13, and 15-20 are pending. Claims 2, 4, 12, and 14 have been canceled. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 1, 3, 5-11, 13, and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims 1 and 11 recite, “calculating a volume of fluid in the pumping chamber when the chamber is not full or empty…” There seems to be improper antecedent basis for the claimed “the chamber” in line 18. Applicant is requested to maintain the antecedent basis. Claims 3, 5-10, 13, and 15-20 are rejected by the virtue of their dependency. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. McGill, David W. et al. (US 2019/0099534 A1) “a disposable fluid handling cassette, such as that useable with an APD cycler device or other infusion apparatus, includes a generally planar body having at least one pump chamber formed as a depression in a first side of the body and a plurality of flowpaths for fluid that includes a channel.” See ¶ 0021, “a method for determining a volume of fluid moved by a pump includes measuring a first pressure for a pump control chamber when the pump control chamber is isolated from a reference chamber. The pump control chamber may have a volume that varies at least in part based on movement of a portion of the pump, such as a pump membrane or diaphragm. A second pressure may be measured for the reference chamber when the reference chamber is isolated from the pump control chamber.” See ¶ 0066, and “determine a volume of fluid moved by the pump,” See ¶ 0069, 0074, 0079, 0081. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Omer S. Khan whose telephone number is (571)270-5146. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am to 8:00 pm EST. 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, Brian A. Zimmerman can be reached at 571-272-3059. 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. /Omer S Khan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 30, 2024
Application Filed
Feb 25, 2026
Examiner Interview (Telephonic)
Jun 19, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Jun 25, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Sep 23, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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ELECTRONIC LOCK DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR A KEY SAFE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE ELECTRIC LOCK DEVICE
3y 3m to grant Granted Sep 29, 2026
Patent 12750091
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1y 10m to grant Granted Sep 29, 2026
Patent 12737573
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1y 11m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
Patent 12738140
ULTRA-WIDEBAND-BASED FALL DETECTION
1y 11m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
Patent 12738115
CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN ELECTRONIC LOCK AND OPERATION METHOD OF THE SAME
1y 8m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
55%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+40.8%)
3y 3m (~7m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 609 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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