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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, claims 1-6, in the reply filed on 26 March 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no undue burden.
The requirement is withdrawn in light of the arguments as the reference Tassoni cited below is found to teach all limitations of the claims of Groups I, II, and III.
Response to Amendment
The amendments to the claims filed 26 March 2026 have been entered. Claims 1-9 are pending; claims 10-12 are canceled.
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 applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is 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.
The term “substantially” in claim 5 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is not clear what range of thicknesses is encompassed by the phrase "substantially equal to a thickness of the second wire". The limitation is thus interpreted as referring to a thickness equal to a thickness of the second wire.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Tassoni (US 20210290896 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Tassoni teaches a braided structure comprising:
a shaft (Catheter shaft 12);
a first wire wound in a spiral shape around an axis of the shaft (Filament 32a); and
a second wire (filament 32b) wound around the shaft in a direction opposite to that of the first wire in a first portion (First braided region 26 having braided/overlapping filaments, Fig. 4; paragraph 0058), and wound around the shaft in a direction identical to that of the first wire in a second portion (Spiral pattern along second braided region 28 such that filaments do not overlap, Fig. 4; paragraph 0058).
Regarding claim 2, Tassoni teaches the braided structure according to claim 1. Tassoni additionally teaches wherein the second wire is provided with a changing portion at which a rotation direction of a spiral changes (Transition region 30; paragraph 0053-0054--individual filaments 32 may be continuously looped, wound, braided, reconfigured, etc. within the transition region 30 such that they form a new braid pattern in the second braided region 28…).
Regarding claim 3, Tassoni teaches the braided structure according to claim 1. Tassoni additionally teaches wherein the second wire does not have any ends present in at least the first portion and the second portion (see filaments 32a/32b in each region, where no ends are present, Fig. 4; paragraph 0053-0054-- the individual filaments 32 may be continuously looped, wound, braided, reconfigured, etc. within the transition region 30 such that they form a new braid pattern in the second braided region 28… the filaments 32 may run continuously and uninterrupted from the first braided region 26, through the transition region 30 and through the second braided region 28…).
Regarding claim 4, Tassoni teaches the braided structure according to claim 1. Tassoni additionally teaches wherein the first wire and the second wire form a wire layer around the shaft (Paragraph 0015, 0048-0050--wherein the plurality of filaments are disposed along the outer surface of the elongate tubular member…the catheter shaft 12 may include a reinforcing layer, such as a braid (e.g., a braided filament), designed to provide desirable characteristics, such as specific flexibility and/or stiffness characteristics, to various portions of the shaft 12), and
a thickness of the wire layer in the first portion is thicker than a thickness of the wire layer in the second portion (As each filament has a thickness, the wire layer would be thicker in the first portion where the first and second filament overlap as the point of overlap would have the thickness of both filaments together, while the second region would have a thickness of only one filament at any location, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 5, Tassoni teaches the braided structure according to claim 4. Tassoni additionally teaches wherein a difference between the thickness of the wire layer in the first portion and the thickness of the wire layer in the second portion is substantially equal to a thickness of the second wire (As each filament has a thickness, the wire layer would be thicker in the first portion where the first and second filament overlap as the point of overlap would have the thickness of both filaments together, while the second region would have a thickness of only one filament at any location, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Tassoni teaches the braided structure according to claim 1. Tassoni additionally teaches wherein a winding interval of the first wire differs between the first portion and the second portion (Paragraph 0053-0056-- braided filaments 32 of the first braided region 26 may have a pitch angle which is greater than the pitch angle depicted by the braided filaments 32 shown in the first braided region 26… may have a pitch angle which is less than the pitch angle depicted by the braided filaments 32 shown in the first braided region 26… any of the catheter shaft examples disclosed herein may include regions of braided filaments which have different pitch angles (e.g., two adjacent regions of braided filaments along a single catheter shaft may have different pitch angles)…).
Regarding claim 7, Tassoni teaches a braided structure comprising:
a first portion in which a first wire and a second wire are wound around a shaft so as to cross each other (First braided region 26 having braided/overlapping filaments, Fig. 4; paragraph 0058);
a second portion in which the first wire and the second wire are wound around the shaft in an identical direction (Spiral pattern along second braided region 28 such that filaments do not overlap, Fig. 4; paragraph 0058); and
a changing portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion and at which a direction of the second wire is reversed (Transition region 30; paragraph 0053-0054--individual filaments 32 may be continuously looped, wound, braided, reconfigured, etc. within the transition region 30 such that they form a new braid pattern in the second braided region 28…),
the first portion, the second portion, and the changing portion being provided along an axis of the shaft (see Fig. 4; Paragraph 0015, 0048-0050--wherein the plurality of filaments are disposed along the outer surface of the elongate tubular member…the catheter shaft 12 may include a reinforcing layer, such as a braid (e.g., a braided filament), designed to provide desirable characteristics, such as specific flexibility and/or stiffness characteristics, to various portions of the shaft 12).
Regarding claim 8, Tassoni teaches a method for manufacturing a braided structure (Paragraph 0005, 0024—manufacturing method), the method comprising:
winding a first wire (Filament 32a) in a spiral shape around an axis of a shaft (Paragraph 0024-- attaching a plurality of wires to an outer surface of an elongate member…; Fig. 4);
winding a second wire around the shaft in a direction opposite to that of the first wire (Paragraph 0024--wherein the plurality of wires forms a first braided pattern along a first braided region of the elongate member…; First braided region 26 having braided/overlapping filaments, Fig. 4; paragraph 0058); and
winding the second wire around the shaft in a direction identical to that of the first wire (Paragraph 0024--, and wherein the plurality of wires forms a second braided pattern along a second braided region of the elongate member, wherein the second braided pattern is different from first braided pattern, and wherein the plurality of wires extends continuously from the first braided region to the second braided region…; Spiral pattern along second braided region 28 such that filaments do not overlap, Fig. 4; paragraph 0058).
Regarding claim 9, Tassoni teaches the method for manufacturing a braided structure according to claim 8. Tassoni additionally teaches changing a rotation direction of a spiral of the second wire after the winding of the second wire in the direction opposite to that of the first wire (Paragraph 0024, 0058; Fig. 4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNA ROBERTS whose telephone number is (571)272-7912. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-4:30 EST.
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/ANNA ROBERTS/Examiner, Art Unit 3791
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