Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 01, 2026
Application No. 18/451,725

Electrolytically Detachable Intravascular Delivery Device

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Aug 17, 2023
Examiner
OU, JING RUI
Art Unit
3771
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
DePuy Synthes Products Inc.
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
53%
Grant Probability
Moderate
2-3
OA Rounds
1y 2m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 53% of resolved cases
53%
Career Allowance Rate
422 granted / 792 resolved
-16.7% vs TC avg
Strong +52% interview lift
Without
With
+51.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 3m
Avg Prosecution
42 currently pending
Career history
825
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.9%
-39.1% vs TC avg
§103
42.8%
+2.8% vs TC avg
§102
23.8%
-16.2% vs TC avg
§112
26.7%
-13.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 792 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 action is in response to the RCE filed on 08/19/2026. Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/19/2026 has been entered. 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 9-12 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. Claim 9, lines 9-10, the limitation “a second polyethylene terephthalate material” is indefinite because claims 9-10 recites a second polyethylene terephthalate without reciting a first polyethylene terephthalate. It is unclear whether the first polyethylene terephthalate is part of the claimed invention. For the purpose of examination, the limitation “a second polyethylene terephthalate material” is interpreted to be “a polyethylene terephthalate material.” Claims 10-12 are rejected because they depend on claim 9. Examiner’s Note In the next response, Applicant should make the changes in the claim amendment corresponding to the examiner’s amendment made in the office action dated 06/16/2026. Claim 8, lines 18-19, “the proximal adhesive coating” should be amended to --a proximal adhesive coating--. Claim 13, lines 18-19, “the proximal adhesive coating” should be amended to --a proximal adhesive coating--. Claims 14-19 should be canceled. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-8 and 13 are allowed. Claims 9-12 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance on claims 1-7: the prior art fails to teach or render obvious the prior art fails to teach or render obvious an electrolytically detachable intravascular delivery system comprising, inter alia, a proximal coil made of a platinum alloy and disposed about the core wire in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the distal coil; the proximal coil having an inner passageway and an outer surface extending in the axial direction from a proximal end to an opposite distal end; a proximal adhesive coating on at least a portion of the outer surface of the proximal coil; a proximal electrical insulation covering made of a second polyethylene terephthalate material adhered to the outer surface of the proximal coil via the proximal adhesive coating disposed therebetween; the proximal electrical insulation covering having a proximal end and an opposite distal end; the proximal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering extending in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the proximal coil and the distal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering being flush with the distal end of the proximal coil; and a distal glue joint having a distal end and an opposite proximal end abutting in direct physical contact with both the distal end of the proximal coil and the distal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering. The closest prior art of record, Wallace (US Pub. No.: 2002/0002382), discloses an electrolytically detachable intravascular delivery system comprising: a core wire (310, Fig. 5D), the core wire having a proximal end, an opposite distal end and an outer surface extending therebetween (Fig. 5D and Paras. [0079]-[0081]) ; a distal coil (320, Fig. 5D) having a proximal end and an opposite distal end with an outer surface extending therebetween (Fig. 5D), the distal coil disposed about the outer surface of the coil wire (Fig. 5D); a distal adhesive coating (Paras. [0053]-[0055], the exterior covering formed by polymer fibers, similar to 108 as shown in Fig. 1G or 1H, is attached to the coil by adhesive, Para. [0055]) on at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal coil; a distal electrical insulation covering (the exterior covering formed by wrapping of polymer fibers similar to 108, Fig. 5D. Also see Fig. 1G and 1G) made of a first polyethylene terephthalate material (Para. [0052]) adhered to the outer surface of the distal coil via the distal adhesive coating disposed therebetween (Paras. [0053]-[0055]); the distal electrical insulation covering having a proximal end and an opposite distal end (Fig. 5D, also see Fig. 1G or 1H); the proximal end of the distal electrical insulation covering extending in an axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the distal coil and the distal end of the distal electrical insulation covering extending in the axial direction distally of the distal end of the distal coil (Fig. 5D, also see Fig. 1G or 1H); wherein the outer surface of the core wire has an exposed section representing a detachment zone (the exposed region of 310, Fig. 5D and Para. [0080]) that is located in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the distal electrical insulation covering. Furthermore, Ramzipoor (US Pub. No.: 2007/0073334) a core wire (120, Fig. 3) made of a nickel-titanium-cobalt alloy (Para. [0034], e.g. MP35-N. As disclosed in Para. [0033] of Sharrow (US Pub. No.: 2004/0167437), MP35-N is a nickel-titanium-cobalt alloy). However, none of Wallace, Ramzipoor, and Sharrow disclose or render obvious a proximal coil made of a platinum alloy and disposed about the core wire in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the distal coil; the proximal coil having an inner passageway and an outer surface extending in the axial direction from a proximal end to an opposite distal end; a proximal adhesive coating on at least a portion of the outer surface of the proximal coil; a proximal electrical insulation covering made of a second polyethylene terephthalate material adhered to the outer surface of the proximal coil via the proximal adhesive coating disposed therebetween; the proximal electrical insulation covering having a proximal end and an opposite distal end; the proximal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering extending in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the proximal coil and the distal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering being flush with the distal end of the proximal coil; and a distal glue joint having a distal end and an opposite proximal end abutting in direct physical contact with both the distal end of the proximal coil and the distal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance on claims 8 and 13: the prior art fails to teach or render obvious the prior art fails to teach or render obvious an electrolytically detachable intravascular delivery system comprising, inter alia, a proximal coil made of a platinum alloy and disposed about the outer surface of the core wire; the proximal coil having an inner passageway and an outer surface extending in an axial direction from a proximal end to an opposite distal end; and a proximal electrical insulation covering made of a second polyethylene terephthalate material adhered to the outer surface of the proximal coil via a proximal adhesive coating disposed therebetween; the proximal electrical insulation covering having a proximal end and an opposite distal end; the proximal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering extending in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the proximal coil and the distal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering being flush with the distal end of the proximal coil. The closest prior art of record, Wallace (US Pub. No.: 2002/0002382), discloses an electrolytically detachable intravascular delivery system comprising: a core wire (310, Fig. 5D), the core wire having a proximal end, an opposite distal end and an outer surface extending therebetween (Fig. 5D and Paras. [0079]-[0081]) ; a distal coil (320, Fig. 5D) having a proximal end and an opposite distal end with an outer surface extending therebetween (Fig. 5D), the distal coil disposed about the outer surface of the coil wire (Fig. 5D); a distal adhesive coating (Paras. [0053]-[0055], the exterior covering formed by polymer fibers, similar to 108 as shown in Fig. 1G or 1H, is attached to the coil by adhesive, Para. [0055]) on at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal coil; a distal electrical insulation covering (the exterior covering formed by wrapping of polymer fibers similar to 108, Fig. 5D. Also see Fig. 1G and 1G) made of a first polyethylene terephthalate material (Para. [0052]) adhered to the outer surface of the distal coil via the distal adhesive coating disposed therebetween (Paras. [0053]-[0055]); the distal electrical insulation covering having a proximal end and an opposite distal end (Fig. 5D, also see Fig. 1G or 1H); the proximal end of the distal electrical insulation covering extending in an axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the distal coil and the distal end of the distal electrical insulation covering extending in the axial direction distally of the distal end of the distal coil (Fig. 5D, also see Fig. 1G or 1H); wherein the outer surface of the core wire has an exposed section representing a detachment zone (the exposed region of 310, Fig. 5D and Para. [0080]) that is located in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the distal electrical insulation covering. Furthermore, Ramzipoor (US Pub. No.: 2007/0073334) a core wire (120, Fig. 3) made of a nickel-titanium-cobalt alloy (Para. [0034], e.g. MP35-N. As disclosed in Para. [0033] of Sharrow (US Pub. No.: 2004/0167437), MP35-N is a nickel-titanium-cobalt alloy). However, none of Wallace, Ramzipoor, and Sharrow disclose or render obvious a proximal coil made of a platinum alloy and disposed about the outer surface of the core wire; the proximal coil having an inner passageway and an outer surface extending in an axial direction from a proximal end to an opposite distal end; and a proximal electrical insulation covering made of a second polyethylene terephthalate material adhered to the outer surface of the proximal coil via a proximal adhesive coating disposed therebetween; the proximal electrical insulation covering having a proximal end and an opposite distal end; the proximal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering extending in the axial direction proximally of the proximal end of the proximal coil and the distal end of the proximal electrical insulation covering being flush with the distal end of the proximal coil. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 9-12 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JING RUI OU whose telephone number is (571)270-5036. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am -5:00pm. 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, Jackie Ho can be reached at (571) 272-4696. 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. /JING RUI OU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3771
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 17, 2023
Application Filed
Jan 20, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Apr 17, 2026
Response Filed
Jun 08, 2026
Examiner Interview (Telephonic)
Aug 19, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Aug 20, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Aug 25, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Patent 12708537
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3y 10m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

2-3
Expected OA Rounds
53%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+51.5%)
4y 3m (~1y 2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 792 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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