Non-final 17/498,736
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 without traverse of Species A: Figs. 1-16B for a palatal expander, in the reply filed on 9/2/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-14, 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (US 2017/0007367 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches a dental device, comprising:
a first region (900) having a first joining surface (902),
a second region (911) having a second joining surface ([0150]; such that tooth-receiving cavities have regions that mate with the palatal expander region), and wherein the first and second regions are coupled together at the first and second joining surfaces ([0150), wherein the one or more protrusions mate with the corresponding features of the second joining surface to align the first region with the second region and to interlock the first and second regions ([0147-0150]).
Li teaches the first region comprises indentations (903) shaped to mate with corresponding protrusions (913) of the second region (911) such that they engage with a snap/interlocking connection ([0147-0150]). Li’s first region may be understood to have protrusions between indentations (903) that correspondingly would fit into indentations in the second region (911) (see Figures 9A-9B). However, even if it is understood that Li does not explicitly teach the first joining surface having the one or more protrusion and the second joining surface having the one or more corresponding features (i.e., indentation), it would have been obvious to modify the protrusion and the corresponding indentation to be reversed between the respective structures because it would merely involve a reversal of parts. The respective protrusion and indentation are complementary mating features that perform the same function regardless of which region carries the protrusion or indentation and is considered a known alternative (see MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(A)).
Regarding claim 2, Li teaches the dental device of claim 1, wherein the dental device is a palatal expander (see abstract and figures), wherein the first region is a palatal region (see 900 in Figs. 9A-9B and [0149-0150]) that is shaped to extend across a dental arch (see Fig. 9A-9B) and the second region is a tooth engagement region (see 911 and [0149-0150]) that includes one or more cavities shaped to accommodate one or more corresponding teeth (see Figs. 9A-9B).
Regarding claim 4, Li teaches the dental device of claim 2, wherein the tooth engagement region is a first tooth engagement region, wherein the dental device further comprises a second tooth engagement region that is coupled with the palatal region (see Fig. 9C; such that the tooth receiving regions are mirrored for both sides of a dental arch).
Regarding claims 5-6, Li teaches the dental device of claim 1, where the first region has a least one material property that is different than the second region and wherein the first region made of a different material than the second region ([0148], [0152]; such that the palatal expander part and the tooth receiving aligner part can be made of different materials so as to possess different properties such as stiffness).
Regarding claim 7, Li teaches the dental device of claim 5, wherein the first region and the second region have different ratios of materials ([0136]; such that the forces may be tuned as desired by varying the proportions of different polymers or other materials, [152], [166]).
Regarding claim 8, Li teaches the dental device of claim 5, wherein the first region is made of a first material and the second region is made of a second material, wherein the first and second materials have different rigidities ([0148], [0152], [166]; such that the different materials may have different stiffness/rigidities).
Regarding claim 9, Li teaches the dental device of claim 1, wherein the first region is fabricated separately from the second region ([0148]).
Regarding claim 10, Li teaches the dental device of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions and the one or more corresponding features include: a spring-type fastener system, a press-fit fastener system, an interlocking system ([0148-0152; such that the engagement structures can snap or lock with each other), a V-shaped press fit system and/or slotted feature system.
Regarding claim 11, Li teaches a method of forming a dental device (abstract and claim 22; such that the device is formed and provided), the method comprising:
forming a first region (900) of the dental device, the first region having a first joining surface (902),
forming a second region (911) of the dental device, the second region having a second joining surface having one or more corresponding features configured to mate with the one or more protrusions of the first joining surface ([0150]; such that tooth-receiving cavities have regions that mate with the palatal expander region); and
coupling the first and second regions at the first and second joining surface ([0150), wherein the one or more protrusions mate with the corresponding features of the second joining surface to align the first region with the second region and to interlock the first and second regions ([0147-0150]).
Li teaches the first region comprises indentations (903) shaped to mate with corresponding protrusions (913) of the second region (911) such that they engage with a snap/interlocking connection ([0147-0150]). Li’s first region may be understood to have protrusions between indentations (903) that correspondingly would fit into indentations in the second region (911) (see Figures 9A-9B). However, even if it is understood that Li does not explicitly teach the first joining surface having the one or more protrusion and the second joining surface having the one or more corresponding features (i.e., indentation), it would have been obvious to modify the protrusion and the corresponding indentation to be reversed between the respective structures because it would merely involve a reversal of parts. The respective protrusion and indentation are complementary mating features that perform the same function regardless of which region carries the protrusion or indentation and is considered a known alternative (see MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(A)).
Regarding claim 12, Li teaches the method of claim 11, wherein forming the first region and the second region separately fabricating the first and second regions ([0148]).
Regarding claim 13, Li teaches the method of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second regions are formed using three-dimensional printing processes ([0108], [0118], [0183]).
Regarding claim 14, Li teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the dental device is a palatal expander (see abstract and figures), wherein the first region is a palatal region (see 900 in Figs. 9A-9B and [0149-0150]) that is shaped to extend across a dental arch (see Fig. 9A-9B) and the second region is a tooth engagement region (see 911 and [0149-0150]) that includes one or more cavities shaped to accommodate one or more corresponding teeth (see Figs. 9A-9B).
Regarding claims 16-18, Li teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the first region is formed of a first material and the second region is formed of a second material, wherein the first and second material have different material properties ([0148], [0152], [166]; such that the palatal expander part and the tooth receiving aligner part can be made of different materials so as to possess different properties such as stiffness and different materials may have different stiffness/rigidities).
Regarding claim 19, Li teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the first region and the second region are formed of different ratios of materials ([0136], [152], [166]; such that the forces may be tuned as desired by varying the proportions of different polymers or other materials).
Regarding claim 20, Li teaches the method of claim 11, wherein forming the one or more protrusions and the one or more corresponding features include forming: a spring-type fastener system, a press-fit fastener system, an interlocking system ([0148-0152; such that the engagement structures can snap or lock with each other), a V-shaped press fit system and/or slotted feature system.
Claims 3, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (US 2017/0007367 A1), in view of Shanjani (WO2018102809A1).
Regarding claim 3, Li teaches the dental device of claim 2 but does not explicitly teach the palatal region has a varied thickness.
Shanjani teaches a palatal expansion appliance having tooth engagement regions and a palatal region. Shanjani teaches the palatal region may have variable thickness as to allow adjustment of different regions to permit different stiffnesses and expansion properties (abstract and [0150], [0166-0168]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the palatal region to have variable thickness, as taught by Shanjani, because it would allow adjusting/controlling the properties of different areas of the palatal region.
Regarding claim 15, Li teaches the method of claim 14 but does not explicitly teach the palatal region comprising is formed to have a varied thickness.
Shanjani teaches a palatal expansion appliance having tooth engagement regions and a palatal region. Shanjani teaches the palatal region may have variable thickness as to allow adjustment of different regions to permit different stiffnesses and expansion properties (abstract and [0150], [0166-0168]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the palatal region to have variable thickness, as taught by Shanjani, because it would allow adjusting/controlling the properties of different areas of the palatal region.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 attached to this office action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINA FARAJ whose telephone number is (571)272-4580. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/LINA FARAJ/ Examiner, Art Unit 3772
/HEIDI M EIDE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3772
9/25/2026
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