Last updated: May 29, 2026

Application No. 18/573,512

STEERABLE ROBOTIC NEEDLES WITH TUNABLE STIFFNESS SEGMENTS FOR LARGE CURVATURE MANEUVERS

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 22, 2023

Priority

Jun 25, 2021 — provisional 63/215,147 +2 more

Examiner

LABRANCHE, BROOKE N

Art Unit

3771

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Syracuse University

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +14.6% interview lift. Interview lift (+14.6%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 458 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LABRANCHE, BROOKE N View full profile →

Grants 73% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

334 granted / 458 resolved

+2.9% vs TC avg

Moderate +15% lift

Without

With

+14.6%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 0m

Avg Prosecution

50 currently pending

Career history

524

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

67.0%

+27.0% vs TC avg

§102

22.8%

-17.2% vs TC avg

§112

6.5%

-33.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 458 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 22, 2023

Application Filed

Sep 11, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Feb 11, 2026

Response after Non-Final Action

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/409,293

Patent 12636186

System and Method for Detection of Cornea Collapse

2y 4m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

18/653,943

Patent 12636031

MODULAR FORCEPS

2y 0m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

18/278,077

Patent 12616493

JAW ACTUATION MECHANISM

2y 8m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

18/316,608

Patent 12616480

CLIP APPLYING MECHANISM AND CLIP APPLYING APPARATUS THEREOF

2y 11m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

18/540,205

Patent 12611273

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT STEERING INPUT DEVICE

2y 4m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026

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

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

73%

Grant Probability

88%

With Interview (+14.6%)

3y 0m (~7m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 458 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.