Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/810,175

SITUATIONAL CONTROL OF SMART SURGICAL DEVICES

Non-Final OA

Filed

Aug 20, 2024

Priority

Nov 22, 2023 — provisional 63/601,998 +8 more

Examiner

BORSCH, NICHOLAS S

Art Unit

3794

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Cilag GmbH International

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +12.1% interview lift. Interview lift (+12.1%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 131 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

BORSCH, NICHOLAS S View full profile →

Grants 72% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

95 granted / 131 resolved

+2.5% vs TC avg

Moderate +12% lift

Without

With

+12.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 4m

Avg Prosecution

17 currently pending

Career history

162

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

91.4%

+51.4% vs TC avg

§102

1.3%

-38.7% vs TC avg

§112

6.1%

-33.9% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 131 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 20, 2024

Application Filed

May 28, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/433,787

Patent 12672907

MODULAR DOCKING SYSTEM FOR ELECTROSURGICAL EQUIPMENT

4y 10m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/499,968

Patent 12636077

BASKET ASSEMBLY, SPINES, AND ELECTRODES FOR A CATHETER, AND METHODS OF THE SAME

2y 6m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

17/201,166

Patent 12622745

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEALING CORED OR PUNCTURED TISSUE USING INFLATABLE BALLOON

5y 1m to grant Granted May 12, 2026

18/220,767

Patent 12622737

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLED RF TREATMENTS AND RF GENERATOR SYSTEM

2y 10m to grant Granted May 12, 2026

18/174,134

Patent 12616516

MEDICAL DEVICE

3y 2m to grant Granted May 05, 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

72%

Grant Probability

85%

With Interview (+12.1%)

3y 4m (~1y 5m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 131 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.