Last updated: April 19, 2026

Application No. 18/540,074

ENDOSCOPY IN REVERSIBLY ALTERED ANATOMY

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 14, 2023

Examiner

FAIRCHILD, AARON BENJAMIN

Art Unit

3795

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Olympus Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +20.1% interview lift. This examiner has a relatively high allow rate; a written response may suffice.

Based on 627 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

FAIRCHILD, AARON BENJAMIN View full profile →

Grants 79% — above average

Career Allow Rate

495 granted / 627 resolved

+8.9% vs TC avg

Strong +20% interview lift

Without

With

+20.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 0m

Avg Prosecution

20 currently pending

Career history

647

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

3.0%

-37.0% vs TC avg

§103

32.1%

-7.9% vs TC avg

§102

23.1%

-16.9% vs TC avg

§112

34.8%

-5.2% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 627 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 14, 2023

Application Filed

Mar 20, 2026

Non-Final Rejection

Mar 20, 2026

Examiner Interview (Telephonic)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/112,240

Patent 12593961

ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND SUCTION UNIT

2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026

18/106,562

Patent 12575719

STERILE MEDICAL DEVICE PACKAGE, MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM, STERILIZATION METHOD FOR MEDICAL DEVICE, AND OPENING METHOD FOR STERILE MEDICAL DEVICE PACKAGE

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026

18/165,559

Patent 12564309

ACTUATORS FOR MEDICAL DEVICES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 03, 2026

18/574,773

Patent 12564462

ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEM AND OPERATOR-SIDE APPARATUS

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 03, 2026

17/993,891

Patent 12551094

ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE CAPTURING ASSEMBLY AND ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE THEREWITH

2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 17, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

AI Strategy Recommendation

Get an AI-powered prosecution strategy using examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

79%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+20.1%)

3y 0m

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 627 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.