Prosecution Insights
Last updated: September 17, 2026
Application No. 18/437,204

POWER CHARGING APPARTUS FOR GUM OR TISSUE NUMBING DEVICE(S)

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Feb 08, 2024
Priority
Feb 09, 2023 — provisional 63/444,271
Examiner
SARWAR, BABAR
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Natasha LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allowance Rate
919 granted / 1072 resolved
+25.7% vs TC avg
Strong +20% interview lift
Without
With
+19.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 4m
Avg Prosecution
16 currently pending
Career history
1088
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
9.2%
-30.8% vs TC avg
§103
44.7%
+4.7% vs TC avg
§102
28.4%
-11.6% vs TC avg
§112
11.7%
-28.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1072 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Status of Claims Claims 1-9 are presented for examinations. Claims 1-9 are rejected. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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. Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MOCANU et al. (EP 4272627 A1: hereinafter “MOCANU”) in view of Gulesserian (US Pub. No.: 2020/0238022 A1: hereinafter “Gulesserian”). Consider claim 1: MOCANU teaches a power charging assembly (Fig. 17 elements 211-256), comprising: two or more medical devices (See MOCANU, e.g., “…a multiple charger device 256 configured for simultaneously accommodating one or more medical devices…The multiple charger device 256 is configured to carry out one or more of the following tasks: charging the medical devices by further connecting the medical device to a power supply through the USB cable 255-1, exchanging data between the memories 102 of either medical device and one or more external memories, connecting the processor's sub-unit PSU of either medical device to the external device processor for controlling the step 5 of the method, provide ultraviolet light for disinfection of the medical devices while the medical devices are charging…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256), the two or more medical devices including a power charging interface and one or more rechargeable batteries (See MOCANU, e.g., “…a multiple charger device 256 configured for simultaneously accommodating one or more medical devices…charging the medical devices by further connecting the medical device to a power supply through the USB cable 255-1…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256); a base assembly (Fig. 17 elements 211-256); one or more power electronics printed circuit boards (PCBs) to generate electrical power (Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256), the one or more power electronics PCBs including two or more charging interfaces (See MOCANU, e.g., “…a multiple charger device 256 configured for simultaneously accommodating one or more medical devices…The multiple charger device 256 is configured to carry out one or more of the following tasks: charging the medical devices by further connecting the medical device to a power supply through the USB cable 255-1, exchanging data between the memories 102 of either medical device and one or more external memories, connecting the processor's sub-unit PSU of either medical device to the external device processor for controlling the step 5 of the method, provide ultraviolet light for disinfection of the medical devices while the medical devices are charging…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256), the two or more charging interfaces to connect to the associated power charging interface of the two or more medical devices (See MOCANU, e.g., “…a multiple charger device 256 configured for simultaneously accommodating one or more medical devices…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256); a power interface port (Fig. 17 elements 211-256), the power interface port configured to accept a power cable coupled to an external power source (Fig. 17 elements 211-256), the external power source to provide power to the power charging assembly through the power interface port (Fig. 17 elements 211-256). MOCANU further teaches “…a power management unit 120, a wireless connection module 121, an artificial intelligence processor 124, a power output interface 128, an USB interface 129…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256). However, MOCANU does not explicitly teach gum or tissue numbing device. In an analogous field of endeavor, Gulesserian teaches gum or tissue numbing device (See Gulesserian, e.g., “…A gum numbing system includes a wristband configured to be attached to a user' wrist; an electronics housing; two or more finger coverings; two or more gum stimulation assemblies, the two or more gum stimulation assemblies detachably connected to the two or more finger coverings and the two or more gum stimulation assemblies to stimulate a patient's gum before a needle is inserted into the patient's gum; and two or more cables or wires, the two or more cables or wires connecting the electronics housing to the two or more gum stimulation assemblies. The electronics housing is integrated into the wristband or the top surface of the wristband…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0034]-¶ [0044], and Figs. 4A-E elements 400-436). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine “…mining truck having a regenerative braking mechanism and a friction braking mechanism includes receiving data indicative of a change in demand in an electrical power grid for regenerated electrical power from the mining truck, and commanding braking the mining truck such that application of the retarding torque is allocated to the regenerative braking mechanism in a manner responsive to the data. A mining truck and methodology relating to harvesting electrical power regenerated via application of retarding torque is also disclosed…”, as disclosed in MOCANU with “and based on input data including the fleet status data, generating a driving schedule comprising instructions to control a movement of the vehicle along the target path, wherein generating the driving schedule comprises optimizing the driving schedule according to penalties, wherein the penalties comprise a penalty term indicative of a power surplus of the plurality of mining vehicles.”, as taught in Gulesserian with a reasonable expectation of success to yield a system, method for “…a new system or device is needed to lessen or reduce the pain of injections into a gum or tissue of a patient, especially for dental patients that are receiving a shot of novocaine into areas of the gums which are incredibly painful.”, as disclosed in ¶ [0006]. Consider claim 2: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 1. In addition, MOCANU teaches wherein the power charging interface is a USB or USB-C power interface (See MOCANU, e.g., “…a multiple charger device 256 configured for simultaneously accommodating one or more medical devices…The multiple charger device 256 is configured to carry out one or more of the following tasks: charging the medical devices by further connecting the medical device to a power supply through the USB cable 255-1, exchanging data between the memories 102 of either medical device and one or more external memories, connecting the processor's sub-unit PSU of either medical device to the external device processor for controlling the step 5 of the method, provide ultraviolet light for disinfection of the medical devices while the medical devices are charging…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256). Consider claim 3: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 1. In addition, MOCANU teaches wherein the two or more gum or tissue numbing devices are positioned vertically in the assembly and connected to the one or more power electronics PCBs (Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256). Consider claim 4: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 1. Gulesserian teaches further comprising a cover or shield, the cover or shield to protect the two or more gum numbing devices from dirt or bacteria or other contaminants (See Gulesserian, e.g., “…A gum numbing system includes a wristband configured to be attached to a user' wrist; an electronics housing; two or more finger coverings; two or more gum stimulation assemblies, the two or more gum stimulation assemblies detachably connected to the two or more finger coverings and the two or more gum stimulation assemblies to stimulate a patient's gum before a needle is inserted into the patient's gum; and two or more cables or wires, the two or more cables or wires connecting the electronics housing to the two or more gum stimulation assemblies. The electronics housing is integrated into the wristband or the top surface of the wristband…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0034]-¶ [0044], and Figs. 4A-E elements 400-436). 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 MOCANU with the teachings of Gulesserian so as to with a reasonable expectation of success to yield a system, method for “…a new system or device is needed to lessen or reduce the pain of injections into a gum or tissue of a patient, especially for dental patients that are receiving a shot of novocaine into areas of the gums which are incredibly painful.”, as disclosed in ¶ [0006]. Consider claim 5: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 4. Gulesserian teaches wherein the cover or shield rests on top edges of the base assembly (See Gulesserian, e.g., “…A gum numbing system includes a wristband configured to be attached to a user' wrist; an electronics housing; two or more finger coverings; two or more gum stimulation assemblies, the two or more gum stimulation assemblies detachably connected to the two or more finger coverings and the two or more gum stimulation assemblies to stimulate a patient's gum before a needle is inserted into the patient's gum; and two or more cables or wires, the two or more cables or wires connecting the electronics housing to the two or more gum stimulation assemblies. The electronics housing is integrated into the wristband or the top surface of the wristband…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0034]-¶ [0044], and Figs. 4A-E elements 400-436). 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 MOCANU with the teachings of Gulesserian so as to with a reasonable expectation of success to yield a system, method for “…a new system or device is needed to lessen or reduce the pain of injections into a gum or tissue of a patient, especially for dental patients that are receiving a shot of novocaine into areas of the gums which are incredibly painful.”, as disclosed in ¶ [0006]. Consider claim 6: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 4. Gulesserian teaches further comprising a positioning plate, the cover or shield resting on edges of the positioning plate (See Gulesserian, e.g., “…A gum numbing system includes a wristband configured to be attached to a user' wrist; an electronics housing; two or more finger coverings; two or more gum stimulation assemblies, the two or more gum stimulation assemblies detachably connected to the two or more finger coverings and the two or more gum stimulation assemblies to stimulate a patient's gum before a needle is inserted into the patient's gum; and two or more cables or wires, the two or more cables or wires connecting the electronics housing to the two or more gum stimulation assemblies. The electronics housing is integrated into the wristband or the top surface of the wristband…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0034]-¶ [0044], and Figs. 4A-E elements 400-436). 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 MOCANU with the teachings of Gulesserian so as to with a reasonable expectation of success to yield a system, method for “…a new system or device is needed to lessen or reduce the pain of injections into a gum or tissue of a patient, especially for dental patients that are receiving a shot of novocaine into areas of the gums which are incredibly painful.”, as disclosed in ¶ [0006]. Consider claim 7: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 6. Gulesserian teaches wherein the positioning plate has two openings, the two openings allowing the two or more gum or tissue numbing devices to pass through the positioning plate and connect to the one or more power electronics PCBs (See Gulesserian, e.g., “…A gum numbing system includes a wristband configured to be attached to a user' wrist; an electronics housing; two or more finger coverings; two or more gum stimulation assemblies, the two or more gum stimulation assemblies detachably connected to the two or more finger coverings and the two or more gum stimulation assemblies to stimulate a patient's gum before a needle is inserted into the patient's gum; and two or more cables or wires, the two or more cables or wires connecting the electronics housing to the two or more gum stimulation assemblies. The electronics housing is integrated into the wristband or the top surface of the wristband…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0034]-¶ [0044], and Figs. 4A-E elements 400-436). 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 MOCANU with the teachings of Gulesserian so as to with a reasonable expectation of success to yield a system, method for “…a new system or device is needed to lessen or reduce the pain of injections into a gum or tissue of a patient, especially for dental patients that are receiving a shot of novocaine into areas of the gums which are incredibly painful.”, as disclosed in ¶ [0006]. Consider claim 8: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 6. Gulesserian teaches further including a positioning band placed between the positioning plate and the base assembly (See Gulesserian, e.g., “…A gum numbing system includes a wristband configured to be attached to a user' wrist; an electronics housing; two or more finger coverings; two or more gum stimulation assemblies, the two or more gum stimulation assemblies detachably connected to the two or more finger coverings and the two or more gum stimulation assemblies to stimulate a patient's gum before a needle is inserted into the patient's gum; and two or more cables or wires, the two or more cables or wires connecting the electronics housing to the two or more gum stimulation assemblies. The electronics housing is integrated into the wristband or the top surface of the wristband…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0034]-¶ [0044], and Figs. 4A-E elements 400-436). 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 MOCANU with the teachings of Gulesserian so as to with a reasonable expectation of success to yield a system, method for “…a new system or device is needed to lessen or reduce the pain of injections into a gum or tissue of a patient, especially for dental patients that are receiving a shot of novocaine into areas of the gums which are incredibly painful.”, as disclosed in ¶ [0006]. Consider claim 9: The combination of MOCANU, Gulesserian teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 1. In addition, MOCANU teaches wherein the one or more power electronics printed circuit boards (PCBs) includes power storage capacitors, resistors, amplifiers, diodes and regulators configured to regulate store and provide power to the two or more charging interfaces in order to power the two or more gum or tissue numbing devices (See MOCANU, e.g., “…a multiple charger device 256 configured for simultaneously accommodating one or more medical devices…The multiple charger device 256 is configured to carry out one or more of the following tasks: charging the medical devices by further connecting the medical device to a power supply through the USB cable 255-1, exchanging data between the memories 102 of either medical device and one or more external memories, connecting the processor's sub-unit PSU of either medical device to the external device processor for controlling the step 5 of the method, provide ultraviolet light for disinfection of the medical devices while the medical devices are charging…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0093]-¶ [0100], ¶ [0362]-¶ [0367], and Figs. 6-7 elements 104-129, Fig. 17 elements 211-256). Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Duboff (US 6,203,509 B1) teaches “A massaging device for securing to a single finger of a user. This massaging device includes a housing and a motor for vibrating the housing. A power source, such as a conventional or rechargeable battery, is provided for powering the motor. A securing strap is provided for attaching the device to the single finger of a user. A plurality of panels are attachable to and detachable from the housing for vibration with the housing.”. ZHAO (CN 208048814 U) teaches “The utility model claims a tooth correcting device, comprising a shell, a denture set on the shell and matched with the denture and is set in the shell, a vibration device arranged in the shell and a control device matched with the vibration device; the vibration device comprises an eccentric wheel, a rotating gear and are connected with the eccentric wheel through the transmission shaft of which passes through the shell through hole matched with the denture through the transmission shaft in a transmission way of micro-motor, the micro-motor of the rotating shaft with the eccentric wheel and the rotating gear, a micro-motor is connected with the control device is matched; the control device comprises a controller, a power supply connected with the controller through the electrical conductor and a control button connected with the controller through the electrical conductor of the shell is equipped with USB connecting port matched with the controller. The utility model has reasonable integral structure design, each component can be reasonably fit, in accordance with the needs of the production and life.” Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BABAR SARWAR whose telephone number is (571)270-5584. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. 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, Faris S. Almatrahi can be reached on (313)446-4821. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free)? If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /BABAR SARWAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3667
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 08, 2024
Application Filed
Aug 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12728893
APPARATUS FOR DRIVER ASSISTANCE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME
3y 2m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12731080
APPLYING A CUSTOMIZED VEHICLE APPLICATION
2y 11m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12725465
VEHICLE INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
1y 8m to grant Granted Sep 01, 2026
Patent 12715437
PROCESSING METHOD, PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM
3y 0m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026
Patent 12705947
ARTICLE ACCOMMODATION DEVICE AND ARTICLE SUPPLY DEVICE
2y 11m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+19.7%)
2y 4m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1072 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month