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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
In the Information Disclosure Statement of January 2, 2024, two references were not considered because a complete copy (37 CFR § 1.98(a)(2); MPEP § 609.04(a)II) was not provided: the file copies lack the original foreign patent documents, including complete sets of drawings. In the Information Disclosure Statement of May 11, 2026, the number listed (item 5) for the foreign patent document does not match that of the copy provided.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In paragraph 0002, last line, “prosthesis” should read --prostheses--. In paragraph 0030, third line, “a short… lesions” lacks proper grammatical syntax. In paragraph 0032, typographical errors exist on the sixth and seventh lines. In paragraph 0033, sixth line, “17” should be --16--. In paragraph 0034, the fifth and sixth lines lack proper syntax. In paragraph 0036, second line, reference numerals “130” and “140” are not believed to be indicated in the drawings. In paragraph 0037, seventh line, “longitudinally direction” lacks proper syntax; on the tenth line, “multiples helixes” also lack proper syntax. Numerous other errors were noted, and Applicant should carefully review the specification and drawings in their entirety. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by McDonald, US 5,676,697, which illustrates a stent comprising a body 110 comprising a first end portion 126 with a first opening 120 and a second end portion 128 with a second opening 122 between which openings extends a lumen 130 (Figures 2, 8-10; abstract; column 2, lines 35-44; column 4, lines 1-23; column 7, lines 5-58) and a single fenestration 114 disposed in a side wall in a center portion of body 110 in a curved length direction (Figures 6-8; column 7, line 59, to column 8, line 8).
Regarding claims 2-3, symmetry about fenestration 114 center and body 110 center is evident from the purpose of the stent and from Figures 2 and 7-10 (MPEP § 2125). Regarding claims 4, 6-7, and 16, greater diameters and areas are innate from the respective anatomical sizes (Figures 2 and 8-10). Regarding claim 5, lesser diameters along a generally superior-inferior dimension or direction are also depicted in the drawings in view of the resemblance to “trousers without any appreciable seat” (column 7, lines 9-13); moreover, single fenestration 114 may assume a more elliptical or slot-like form at some stages and thus define some lesser diameters along a central portion of body 110 (Figures 6-7, 11, 13; column 10, lines 38-39; column 12, line 12, et seq.). The further limitations of claims 8-11 and 15 are readily apparent (MPEP § 707) from the drawings in light of the discussion above; the resilient support of frames 124, 126, 128 is described in column 7, line 22, et seq. Regarding claim 12, the wire coil spring of frame 124 (Figures 11 and 13-14; column 12, line 12, et seq.) is viewed as a marker band because of its geometry and its apparently being of a metallic material. Regarding claims 13-14, trunk stent 140 is configured to extend through single fenestration 114 and couple to body 110 with anchors 145, 147 (Figures 2-5, 10; column 4, lines 23-39; column 8, lines 9-65; column 11, lines 16-58).
Regarding method claim 17, the claimed steps are clearly illustrated in Figures 6-8 and described in column 9, line 56, et seq. Regarding claim 18, stent end portions 126 and 128 do not extend to the internal iliac arteries (Figures 7-10). Regarding claims 19-20, as noted above, trunk stent 140 is advanced to body 110 in iliac arteries 16 and 18 and deployed in and coupled to single fenestration 114 (Figures 8-10; column 8, lines 9-65; column 11, lines 16-58).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure:
US 2006/0247760 A1: Figures 8A-8C; paragraphs 0055-0056.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David H. Willse, whose telephone number is 571-272-4762. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Thursday. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Thomas Barrett can be reached at telephone number 571-272-4746. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID H WILLSE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3774
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