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. Detailed Action This is in response to the preliminary amendment filed 12/31/2023 . Claim Objections Claim s 10-20 objected to because of the following informalities: claims 10-20 aren’t numbered correctly . Claims need to be numbed sequentially. The claims jump from 8 to 10. Claims 10-20 should be renumbered sequentially from claim 8. Appropriate correction is required. 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 appl icant regards as his invention. Claims 10-15 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 10 refers to the first cinching line . There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation. The Office suggest this amendment to withdraw the rejection: 10. (currently amended) A method of resizing an annulus comprising: providing a delivery device including a catheter defining a first lumen that terminates at a distal end of the catheter; anchoring a first member around the annulus; wherein [[ the ]] a first cinching line extends through a first passageway of the first member between first and second ends of the first member; further wherein the first cinching line extends through an opening in a first lock that is positioned within the first lumen; and distally advancing the first lock out of the first lumen such that the first lock automatically transitions from an open arrangement to a closed arrangement. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-3, are allowed. Claim 11 , 14, 15 , 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 1 recites a first lock connecting a first end of the first cinching line to a first end of the second cinching line, the first lock including a locked arrangement and an unlocked arrangement; and a second lock connecting the second end of the second cinching line to the second end of the second cinching line; the second lock including a locked arrangement and an unlocked arrangement. Claim 11 recites comprising the step of severing the first cinching line adjacent each of the first lock. Claim 14 recites wherein the first end of the second cinching line extends through the first lock; further wherein the first and second cinching lines extend through a second lock positioned adjacent the second ends of the first and second members. Claim 18 recites a plurality of tissue anchors embedded within the first and second members. The office agrees the art of record fails to teach or suggests features. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. Claim(s) 4 -8 , 10, 12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Number 8,382,289 (Call et al.) in view of U.S. Patent Publication Number 2013/0325115 ( Maisano et al. ) Regarding claim 4, Call et al. discloses as shown in Figures 1-8 a system comprising: a catheter (guide catheter 46, see col. 3, lines 31-44) including a first lumen terminating at a distal end of the catheter; a tubular first member defining a first passageway extending along its length extending from a first end of the first member to a second end of the first member; a first cinching line (one of tensile members 82, 94, see col. 5, lines 39-59) extending through the first passageway and out of the first and second ends of the first member; and a first lock (suture locker 98, see col. 5, lines 39-59) maintained in the first lumen. Call et al. fails to disclose the first lock including a first tab extending from a first body; the first tab and the first body collectively forming a first opening through which the first line is threaded; wherein the first tab is biased away the first body so that the first tab clamps onto the first cinching line; wherein the first tab can be compressed toward the first body to release clamping the first cinching line; wherein the first lumen is sized to compress the first tab such that the first lock is in an open configuration; wherein the first lock is configured to automatically transition to a closed configuration when the first lock is advanced out of the distal end . Maisano et al. , from the same field of endeavor teaches a similar system as shown in Figures 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, where the first lock including a first tab (core 66, see paragraph [0214]) extending from a first body (casing 62, see paragraph [0214]) ; the first tab and the first body collectively forming a first opening through which a first line (one of sutures 34a, 34b, see paragraph [0183]) is threaded; wherein the first tab is biased away (via spring 72, see paragraph [0222]) the first body so that the first tab clamps onto the first cinching line; wherein the first tab can be compressed toward the first body to release clamping the first cinching line; wherein the first lumen is sized to compress the first tab such that the first lock is in an open configuration; wherein the first lock is configured to automatically transition to a closed configuration when the first lock is advanced out of the distal end . See paragraph [0223]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system disclosed by Call et al. by substituting the first lock disclosed by Call for the first lock taught by Maisano et al. because it would only require the simple substitution of one known alternative for another to produce nothing but predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. , 550 U.S. 398, 82, USPQ2d 1385 (2007). Regarding claims 5 -8, Call et al. in view of Maisano et al. fail to disclose wherein the catheter includes a second lumen terminating at the distal end and a tubular second member defining a second passageway extending along its length extending from a first end of the second member to a second end of the second member; a second cinching line extending through the second passageway and out of the first and second ends of the second member; the system further comprising a second lock positioned within the second lumen. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a second lumen terminating at the distal end and a tubular second member defining a second passageway extending along its length extending from a first end of the second member to a second end of the second member; a second cinching line extending through the second passageway and out of the first and second ends of the second member; the system further comprising a second lock positioned within the second lumen because it would only require a duplication of parts without producing a new and unexpected result. See In re Harza , 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) . Regarding claim s 10 , 12 Call et al. discloses as shown in Figures 1-8 a method of resizing an annulus comprising: providing a delivery device including a catheter (guide catheter 46, see col. 3, lines 31-44) defining a first lumen that terminates at a distal end of the catheter; anchoring a first member ( one of tissue anchor 50, 52, see col. 3, lines 31-44) around the annulus; wherein the first cinching line ( tensile members 82, 94 , see col. 5 lines 39-59) extends through a first passageway of the first member between first and second ends of the first member; further wherein the first cinching line extends through an opening in a first lock (suture locker 98, see col. 5, lines 39-50) that is positioned within the first lumen; and distally advancing the first lock out of the first , the step of tensioning at least one of the first cinching line to reshape the annulus prior to distally advancing the lock out of the first lumen , anchoring a second member (one of the other tissue anchor 50, 52, see col. 3, lines 31-44) around the annulus . Call fails to disclose distally advancing the first lock out of the first lumen such that the first lock automatically transitions from an open arrangement to a closed arrangement . Maisano et al. , from the same field of endeavor teaches a similar method as shown in Figures 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, where the method includes a first lock including a first tab (core 66, see paragraph [0214]) distally advancing the first lock out of the first lumen such that the first lock automatically transitions from an open arrangement to a closed arrangement. See paragraph [0223]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system disclosed by Call et al. by substituting the first lock disclosed by Call for the first lock taught by Maisano et al. because it would only require the simple substitution of one known alternative for another to produce nothing but predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. , 550 U.S. 398, 82, USPQ2d 1385 (2007). 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising anchoring a second member around the annulus; wherein a second cinching line extends within a second passageway of the second member from a first end of the second member to a second end of the second member. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD G LOUIS whose telephone number is 571-270-1965 . The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 6:00 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, please contact the examiner’s supervisor, Jackie Ho at 571-272-4696 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. If there are any inquiries that are not being addressed by first contacting the Examiner or the Supervisor, you may send an email inquiry to TC3700_Workgroup_D_Inquiries@uspto.gov . Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /RICHARD G LOUIS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3771