Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/670,900

PRECIPITATION-STRENGTHENED SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS, DESIGNING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS OF SAME

Non-Final OA

Filed

May 22, 2024

Priority

Feb 14, 2022 — provisional 63/309,671 +1 more

Examiner

O'KEEFE, SEAN P

Art Unit

1738

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Northwestern University

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +12.8% interview lift. Interview lift (+12.8%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 260 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

O'KEEFE, SEAN P View full profile →

Grants 65% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

170 granted / 260 resolved

At TC average

Moderate +13% lift

Without

With

+12.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 0m

Avg Prosecution

42 currently pending

Career history

295

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.0%

-39.0% vs TC avg

§103

62.0%

+22.0% vs TC avg

§102

4.0%

-36.0% vs TC avg

§112

19.1%

-20.9% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 260 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

May 22, 2024

Application Filed

May 06, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/782,947

Patent 12668853

NON-HEAT TREATED WIRE ROD HAVING EXCELLENT DRAWABILITY AND IMPACT TOUGHNESS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

4y 0m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/117,258

Patent 12661710

MANUFACTURING COMPONENT USING HIGH AND LOW MELT BRAZE

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/760,483

Patent 12649963

SPHEROIDAL TUNGSTEN CARBIDE PARTICLES

3y 10m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/204,476

Patent 12649019

DEGRADABLE MAGNESIUM-BASED IMPLANT DEVICES FOR BONE FIXATION

3y 0m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

17/735,227

Patent 12646764

METHOD FOR RECOVERING VALUABLE METALS FROM SPENT LITHIUM-ION-BATTERIE

4y 1m to grant Granted Jun 02, 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

65%

Grant Probability

78%

With Interview (+12.8%)

3y 0m (~10m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 260 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.