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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) have been considered by the examiner.
Priority
Priority to the international application PCT/JP2023/005355 and JP 2022038754 has been acknowledged.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10-14 and 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention and nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/25/2026.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claim 5 be found allowable, claim 4 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. Similarly, if claims 7-8 be found allowable, claim 6 will be objected to as being a substantial duplicate thereof. Similarly, if claims 9 be found allowable, claim 7 will be objected to as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 10518032 B2, henceforth written as Helmer.
Regarding claim 1, Helmer discloses:
A liquid medicine administration device comprising:
(medicament delivery device 1 ; fig 1)
a housing having a hollow cylindrical shape;
(cylindrical outer body 9; fig 1)
a syringe disposed within the housing, the syringe comprising a barrel filled with a liquid medicine;
(cartridge 2 containing medicament; fig 1)
a syringe holder that accommodates the syringe, holds the syringe, and is disposed within the housing so as to be movable in an axial direction of the housing; and
(cartridge carrier 6; fig 1-2)
a double-ended needle comprising a first needle portion that protrudes in a distal direction for puncturing a puncture site, and a second needle portion that protrudes in a proximal direction;
(injection needle 5; fig 1)
wherein: the syringe holder comprises a holding portion that holds a distal portion of the syringe coaxially with a distal portion of the syringe holder by elastically biasing the distal portion of the syringe radially inward
(hook shaped free end 6.1.2.1 on resilient arms 6.1 of second section 6.1.2 elastically flexes inward to hold/bias shoulder 2.1 of cartridge 2; fig 1)
Regarding claim 2, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 1, wherein: the holding portion comprises a plurality of flexible arms that press an outer peripheral surface of the distal portion of the syringe radially inward at a plurality of positions in a circumferential direction of the syringe holder.
(hook shaped free end 6.1.2.1 , therein each a flexible arm on resilient arms 6.1, abut so as to press against a surface of cartridge 2 at multiple positions along its shoulder 2.1; fig 1)
Regarding claim 3, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 2, wherein: the plurality of flexible arms are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the syringe holder.
(fig 1 demonstrating free ends 6.1.2.1 as equally distributed opposite eachother)
Regarding claim 4, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 2, wherein: the syringe comprises a cap attached to a distal end of the barrel;
(sealing element 2.2 and shoulder 2.1 form a distal cap at the end of cartridge 2's barrel; fig 1)
and the plurality of flexible arms press the cap.
(free ends 6.1.2.1 press against the cap in the manner that they press against shoulder 2.1; fig 1)
Regarding claim 5, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 3, wherein: the syringe comprises a cap attached to a distal end of the barrel;
(sealing element 2.2; fig 1)
and the plurality of flexible arms press the cap.
(free ends 6.1.2.1 press against the cap in the manner that they press against shoulder 2.1; fig 1)
Regarding claim 6, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 2, wherein: the syringe holder comprises a holder body that accommodates the barrel, and a holder distal cylindrical portion that has a diameter smaller than that of the holder body and extends from a distal end of the holder body in the distal direction;
(second section 6.1.2 is narrower than a proximal section of carrier 6 which is proximal of section 6.1.1; fig 1)
and the plurality of flexible arms protrude in the distal direction from the distal end of the holder body, and inner ends of the flexible arms in a radial direction are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the distal portion of the syringe.
(fig 1 illustrating claimed positions of free ends 6.1.2.1)
Regarding claim 7, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 3, wherein: the syringe holder comprises a holder body that accommodates the barrel, and a holder distal cylindrical portion that has a diameter smaller than that of the holder body and extends from a distal end of the holder body in the distal direction; and
(second section 6.1.2 is narrower than a proximal section of carrier 6 which is proximal of section 6.1.1; fig 1)
the plurality of flexible arms protrude in the distal direction from the distal end of the holder body, and inner ends of the flexible arms in a radial direction are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the distal portion of the syringe.
(fig 1 illustrating claimed positions of free ends 6.1.2.1)
Regarding claim 8, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 4, wherein: the syringe holder comprises a holder body that accommodates the barrel, and a holder distal cylindrical portion that has a diameter smaller than that of the holder body and extends from a distal end of the holder body in the distal direction; and
(second section 6.1.2 is narrower than a proximal section of carrier 6 which is proximal of section 6.1.1; fig 1)
the plurality of flexible arms protrude in the distal direction from the distal end of the holder body, and inner ends of the flexible arms in a radial direction are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the distal portion of the syringe.
(fig 1 illustrating claimed positions of free ends 6.1.2.1)
Regarding claim 9, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 5, wherein: the syringe holder comprises a holder body that accommodates the barrel, and a holder distal cylindrical portion that has a diameter smaller than that of the holder body and extends from a distal end of the holder body in the distal direction; and
(second section 6.1.2 is narrower than a proximal section of carrier 6 which is proximal of section 6.1.1; fig 1)
the plurality of flexible arms protrude in the distal direction from the distal end of the holder body, and inner ends of the flexible arms in a radial direction are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the distal portion of the syringe.
(fig 1 illustrating claimed positions of free ends 6.1.2.1)
Regarding claim 15, Helmer discloses:
The liquid medicine administration device according to claim 5, wherein: the cap comprises a stepped portion at an outer peripheral surface of the cap between a distal end and a proximal end of the cap; and
(the claimed cap has a narrowed stepped portion between sealing element 2.2 at its distal end and shoulder 2.1 at its proximal end; fig 1)
the plurality of flexible arms are engaged with a distal side of the stepped portion.
(fig 1 demonstrates the engagement of flexible arms 6.1.2.1 with a distal portion of the noted narrowed stepped portion)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FORREST DIPERT whose telephone number is (703)756-1704. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-5pm eastern.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Tsai can be reached on (571) 270-5246. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/FORREST B DIPERT/ Examiner, Art Unit 3783
/MICHAEL J TSAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3783
Prosecution Insights