DETAILED ACTION
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, and 15 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.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed on 8/27/2024 and 11/19/2025 are acknowledged by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 6, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fujii et al. EP1020203B1 (“Fujii”).
Regarding Claim 1, Fujii discloses a fluid transfer device (fig. 1), comprising: a housing (13); a core (14) positioned in said housing (13) for relative movement with said housing (13), the core (14) having a bore (21) having an inlet (supply 15) and an outlet (16, 10)(inlet and outlet described in para 0031, “In the channel 21, an inflow port and an outflow port form an angle of 120 degrees with each other.”) spaced from the inlet (15), and first (13b for 12) and second gate (13b for 19) receiving regions spaced from said inlet (15) and said outlet (16); and an actuator (17) operatively connected in said device to cause relative movement between said core and said housing.
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FUJII – ANNOTATED FIGURE 1
Regarding Claim 2, Fujii discloses first and second gates (ann. fig. 1) respectively positioned in said first and second gate-receiving regions (ann. fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Fujii discloses said core (14) is disk-shaped, said first and second (ann. fig. 1) gate-receiving regions have a radius of curvature (ann. fig. 1), and wherein said first and second gates (ann. fig. 1) have a radius of curvature (ann. fig. 1) that matches the radius of curvature of said gate-receiving regions (see fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 12, Fujii discloses a method of creating an aseptic connection, comprising coupling a first connector and a second connector (ann. fig. 1) to a valve core (14), the valve core (14) having an inner bore (21), first and second gate-receiving regions (ann. fig. 1) and first and second gates (ann. fig. 1) respectively occupying said first and second gate-receiving regions (ann. fig. 1); actuating said valve core (14) to establish fluid communication between said first and second connectors (ann. fig. 1) through said inner bore (21); and further actuating (with handle 17) said valve core (14) to move said first connector (ann. fig. 1) into engagement with said first gate (ann. fig. 1), and to move said second connector into engagement with said second gate (ann. fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 13, Fujii discloses removing said first and second connectors (11a/ 12a) from said valve core (14) after said first and second gates (12, 19) are respectively engaged in said first and second connectors (ann. fig. 1).
Claims 1 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Svensson EP0028601B1 (“Svensson”).
Regarding Claim 1, Svensson discloses a fluid transfer device (fig. 1), comprising: a housing (15); a core (22) positioned in said housing (15) for relative movement with said housing (15), the core (22) having a bore (27) having an inlet (21) and an outlet (14) spaced from the inlet (21), and first (33) and second gate (13) receiving regions spaced from said inlet (21) and said outlet (14); and an actuator (23) operatively connected in said device to cause relative movement between said core and said housing.
Regarding Claim 9, Svensson discloses said relative movement is linear movement (see fig. 3).
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SVENSSON – FIGURE 3
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daphne Barry whose telephone number is (571)272-9966 and fax number is (571) 273-9966. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday 9 AM-6 PM (eastern).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor either Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at (571) 272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at (571) 272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAPHNE BARRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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