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
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.
(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.
Claims 1-4, 9-11, 13-14, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (hereinafter ‘Zhang’, U.S. PGPub No. 2021/0228888).
In regards to claim 1, Zhang discloses a system, comprising a stacked bore assembly comprising multiple components between proximal and distal ends of the stacked bore assembly, the stacked bore assembly configured to receive a lead in a bore of the stacked bore assembly and to electrically couple to one or more electrical contacts on the lead once the lead is inserted into and secured in the bore of the stacked bore assembly, the stacked bore assembly comprising: a first component comprising a distal mechanical feature ([0047]: "The helix mount 114 may include a mount bore 250 extending along the longitudinal axis 108 through a distal portion and a proximal portion of the mount body 233.", [0083]: "Accordingly, the helix mount 114 incorporated in the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 physically separates and electrically isolates the flange 202 from the electrode 104."), and a second component comprising a proximal mechanical feature configured to engage the distal mechanical feature of the first component to a shoulder on a first one of the distal mechanical feature of the first component or the proximal mechanical feature of the second component ([0038] - [0040]), wherein the shoulder is positioned at a distance from an end of the first one of the distal mechanical feature of the first component or the proximal mechanical feature of the second component shorter or longer than a length of a second of the distal mechanical feature of the first component or the proximal mechanical feature of the second component to absorb a portion of a positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the first component or the second component ([0057]: "The threadless connectors of the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 described herein, however, may have looser tolerances that allow the connectors to function regardless of whether the connectors expand during the brazing process.")
In regards to claim 2, Zhang discloses that the stacked bore assembly is a component of a header of an implantable medical device wherein the implantable medical device comprises a housing comprising electronic circuitry (Fig. 1, [0033]: "In one implementation, the electronics compartment 118 contains an electronics assembly 120 (shown by hidden lines). The electronics assembly 120 can be mounted in the electronics compartment 118. For example, the electronics assembly 120 can include, without limitation, a flexible circuit or a printed circuit board having electrical connectors that connect to electrical pins of the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 and the energy source."), wherein the first component comprises a first electrical contact to couple a first electronic circuit of the electronic circuitry of the housing of the implantable medical device to the first electrical contact of the stacked bore assembly, wherein the second component comprises a second electrical contact to couple a second electronic circuit of the electronic circuitry of the housing of the implantable medical device to the second electrical contact of the stacked bore assembly ([0034]: "The biostimulator components, e.g., the energy source container, the electronics compartment 118 containing the electronics assembly 120, and the header assembly 110, can be arranged on the longitudinal axis 108. Accordingly, each component can extend along the longitudinal axis 108 and have a respective axial location relative to another component along the longitudinal axis 108. For example, the energy source container can be offset from the electronics compartment 118 in a proximal direction 122 and the header assembly 110 can be offset from the electronics compartment 118 in a distal direction 124."), wherein the stacked bore assembly is configured to receive a lead comprising first and second electrical contacts, wherein the first electrical contact of the lead, when inserted into and retained by the stacked bore assembly, is configured to couple to the first electrical contact of the first component of the stacked bore assembly, and wherein the second electrical contact of the lead, when inserted into and retained by the stacked bore assembly, is configured to couple to the second electrical contact of the second component of the stacked bore assembly ([0055]: "Similar to the flange 202, the helix mount 114 may include a mount connector 260. Both the flange connector 208 and the mount connector 260 may be threadless connectors, as described below, used to couple the flange 202 to the helix mount 114. More particularly, the flange connector 208 may be coupled to the mount connector 260 to mechanically interlock the flange 202 and helix mount 114 components of the electrical feedthrough assembly 112.").
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In regards to claims 3 and 4, Zhang discloses that the distal mechanical feature of the first component comprises a male mechanical feature wherein the proximal mechanical feature of the second component comprises a female mechanical feature configured to interference fit with the male mechanical feature to the shoulder on one of the male mechanical feature or the female mechanical feature and that the distal mechanical feature of the first component comprises a female mechanical feature wherein the proximal mechanical feature of the second component comprises a male mechanical feature configured to interference fit with the female mechanical feature to the shoulder on one of the male mechanical feature or the female mechanical feature ([0072]: "In an embodiment, the flange connector 208 is a male coupling and the mount connector 260 is a female coupling.").
In regards to claim 9, Zhang discloses that the shoulder is positioned at the distance from an edge of the distal mechanical feature of the first component shorter than the length of the proximal mechanical feature of the second component to absorb a portion of the positive manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the first component or the second component ([0038]: "In an embodiment, the flange 202 includes a shoulder 206. The flange 202 can have a flange 202 wall extending distally from the proximal flange end 204 to the shoulder 206, and the flange 202 can extend radially inward from the shoulder 206 toward a flange connector 208.").
In regards to claim 10, Zhang discloses that the shoulder includes: a first interior shoulder on a female mating component of a distal end of the first component and a second exterior shoulder on a male mating component of a proximal end of the second component, wherein the first interior shoulder on the female mating component of the distal end of the first component is positioned at a distance shorter than a length of the male mating component of the proximal end of the second component to absorb a portion of a positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the first component or the second component, wherein the length of the male mating component of the proximal end of the second component comprises a distance from the proximal end of the second component to the second exterior shoulder on the male mating component of the proximal end of the second component (see [0072], Fig. 8).
In regards to claim 11, Zhang discloses that the shoulder includes: a first interior shoulder on a female mating component of a distal end of the first component and a second exterior shoulder on a male mating component of a proximal end of the second component ([0072]: "In an embodiment, the flange connector 208 is a male coupling and the mount connector 260 is a female coupling."), wherein the second exterior shoulder on the male mating component of the proximal end of the second component is positioned at a distance longer than a length of the female mating component of the distal end of the first component from the proximal end of the second component to absorb a portion of a positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the first component or the second component, wherein the length of the female mating component of the distal end of the first component comprises a distance from the distal end of the first component to the first interior shoulder on the female mating component of the distal end of the first component ([0038]: "In an embodiment, the flange 202 includes a shoulder 206. The flange 202 can have a flange 202 wall extending distally from the proximal flange end 204 to the shoulder 206, and the flange 202 can extend radially inward from the shoulder 206 toward a flange connector 208.").
In regards to claim 13, Zhang discloses that the distance of the position of the second exterior shoulder from proximal end of the second component comprises the positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one the female mating component of the distal end of the first component or the male mating component of the proximal end of the second component ([0038]: "In an embodiment, the flange 202 includes a shoulder 206. The flange 202 can have a flange 202 wall extending distally from the proximal flange end 204 to the shoulder 206, and the flange 202 can extend radially inward from the shoulder 206 toward a flange connector 208.").
In regards to claim 14, Zhang discloses a system, comprising a stacked bore assembly comprising multiple components, the stacked bore assembly configured to receive a lead in a bore of the stacked bore assembly and to electrically couple to one or more electrical contacts on the lead once the lead is inserted into and secured in the bore of the stacked bore assembly, the stacked bore assembly comprising: a first component comprising a distal mechanical feature ([0047]: "The helix mount 114 may include a mount bore 250 extending along the longitudinal axis 108 through a distal portion and a proximal portion of the mount body 233.", [0083]: "Accordingly, the helix mount 114 incorporated in the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 physically separates and electrically isolates the flange 202 from the electrode 104."), and a second component comprising a proximal mechanical feature configured to engage the distal mechanical feature of the first component wherein the distal mechanical feature of the first component is configured to engage the proximal mechanical feature of the second component to a shoulder on the proximal mechanical feature of the second component ([0038] - [0040]), wherein the shoulder is positioned at a distance from a proximal end of the second component longer than a length of the distal mechanical feature of the first component to absorb a portion of one of a positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the first component or the second component ([0057]: "The threadless connectors of the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 described herein, however, may have looser tolerances that allow the connectors to function regardless of whether the connectors expand during the brazing process.").
In regards to claim 19, Zhang discloses a system, comprising a stacked bore assembly comprising multiple components, the stacked bore assembly configured to receive a lead in a bore of the stacked bore assembly and to electrically couple to one or more electrical contacts on the lead once the lead is inserted into and secured in the bore of the stacked bore assembly, the stacked bore assembly comprising: a first component comprising a distal mechanical feature ([0047]: "The helix mount 114 may include a mount bore 250 extending along the longitudinal axis 108 through a distal portion and a proximal portion of the mount body 233.", [0083]: "Accordingly, the helix mount 114 incorporated in the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 physically separates and electrically isolates the flange 202 from the electrode 104."), and a second component comprising a proximal mechanical feature configured to engage the distal mechanical feature of the first component to a shoulder on the distal mechanical feature of the first component ([0038] - [0040]), wherein the shoulder is positioned at a distance from a distal end of the first component longer than a length of the proximal mechanical feature of the second component to absorb a portion of one of a positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the first component or the second component ([0057]: "The threadless connectors of the electrical feedthrough assembly 112 described herein, however, may have looser tolerances that allow the connectors to function regardless of whether the connectors expand during the brazing process.").
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, 12, 15-18, and 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.
In regards to claims 5, 15, and 20, prior art does not appear to describe or be able to teach a stacked bore assembly comprising a third and fourth component wherein the third component is a coupler which couples the second and fourth components while also possessing a length shorter or longer than a corresponding distance between the respective shoulders when the fourth component is joined with the second component by the third component to absorb a portion of one of a positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one of the second component, the third component, or the fourth component.
In regards to claim 12, prior art does not appear to describe or be able to teach that distance of the position of the second exterior shoulder from proximal end of the second component comprises an aggregate positive or negative manufacturing tolerance of at least one first or second components with respect to a plane defined by one of the first component or the second component.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYAN M LEE whose telephone number is (703)756-1789. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 6:00 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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/B.M.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3796
/CARL H LAYNO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3796
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