DETAILED ACTION
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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Imran (US 5,545,161).
Regarding claim 1, Imran teaches an ablation catheter, comprising: a catheter, a handle and a connector which are connected in sequence (catheter 13, handle 51, and connector 39 as in at least Fig. 1), wherein a plurality of electrodes are provided in sequence at a distal end of the catheter (electrodes 41 and 42), each of the electrodes has a corresponding electrode lead (43 and 44 as in Fig. 2), which passes through the catheter and the handle and is connected to the connector (connected to connector 39 as in col. 4 lines 9-16); wherein the catheter comprises an insulated inner catheter (inner catheter 12), the electrodes are provided on the insulated inner catheter (41 and 42 provided on 12), an insulated outer catheter is provided between the plurality of electrodes (outer electrode 51), electrode leads of the plurality of electrodes are respectively provided between the insulated inner catheter and the insulated outer catheter (43 and 44 provided between catheters as in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 2, Imran teaches wherein the distances between adjacent electrodes are equal (spacing between 41 and 42).
Regarding claim 3, Imran teaches wherein an adhesive is provided between the electrode leads and the insulated inner catheter, to fix the positions of the electrode leads (as in at least col. 3 lines 45-52).
Regarding claim 4, Imran teaches wherein first insulated sleeves are sleeved on each of the electrode leads, and the first insulated sleeves are provided between the insulated inner catheter and the insulated outer catheter (col. 7, lines 10-17).
Regarding claim 7, Imran teaches wherein the plurality of electrodes can simultaneously or individually release ablation energy, to perform ablation operations (col. 19, lines 21-24).
Regarding claim 8, Imran teaches wherein the electrodes are distal electrodes or ring electrodes (41 and 42 are distal electrodes), each distal electrode is provided at a distal end of the catheter (41 and 42 at a distal end of the catheter).
Regarding claim 9, Imran teaches wherein a flexible section is provided at the distal end of the catheter (flexible portion with braid 21), the flexible section can bend relative to the catheter (), and the electrodes are provided at a catheter body portion where the flexible section is located ().
Regarding claim 10, Imran teaches wherein the flexible section comprises an annular body formed by winding memory metal (nitinol as in col. 9 lines 23-28), and a flexible material is coated on the annular body in an annular shape or a spiral shape, or the flexible material is sleeved on the annular body directly (as in at least Figs. 11-12 nitinol sleeved in the annular body).
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.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imran in view of Roop (US 2005/0267462).
Regarding claim 5, Imran is not explicit wherein a sensor is provided in a catheter body at the distal end of the catheter, the sensor is a pressure sensor and/or a magnetic positioning sensor, and leads of the pressure sensor and/or the magnetic positioning sensor are provided between the insulated inner catheter and the insulated outer catheter.However, Roop teaches a sensor is provided in a catheter body at the distal end of the catheter (pressure sensor at the end of catheter as in par. [0047]), the sensor is a pressure sensor and/or a magnetic positioning sensor, and leads of the pressure sensor and/or the magnetic positioning sensor are provided between the insulated inner catheter and the insulated outer catheter (lead 60 between catheters).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Imran in view of Roop with a pressure sensor, allowing for detecting parameters to be able to adjust treatment accordingly.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imran in view of Roop, in further view of Vanney (US 2005/0267463).
Regarding claim 6, Imran is silent, but Vanney teaches wherein a second insulated sleeves are sleeved on leads of the pressure sensor and/or the magnetic positioning sensor (52’ insulated as in par. [0074]), and the second insulated sleeve is provided between the insulated inner catheter and the insulated outer catheter (Figs. 9-11).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the combination such that leads are insulated, to prevent unwanted shorting.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BO OUYANG whose telephone number is (571)272-8831. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/BO OUYANG/Examiner, Art Unit 3794
/MICHAEL F PEFFLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3794