DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on February 4, 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 102-109, 111, 113-120, and 123-125 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 102 recites the limitation "the reiver member" in line 2 of the last paragraph. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Because claim 102 previously recites a receiver member, the Examiner is interpreting “the reiver member” as “the receiver member.” Claims 103-109, 111, 113-120, and 123-125 are rejected because they depend from claim 102.
Claim 111 is 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 111 recites the limitation "the central proximal-distal axis" in line 2 of the third paragraph. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the Examiner is interpreting “the central proximal-distal axis” as “a central proximal distal axis of the receiver member.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 102-109, 111, 113-120, and 123-125 are allowable over the prior art and would be allowed if amended to overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112 rejections set forth above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIANNA N HARVEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3815. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 8:00am-5:00pm EST.
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/JULIANNA N HARVEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3773
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