Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology area: Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering
55 pending office actions • 15 art units • 48 examiners • 0 of 55 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 90 patents granted in the last 365 days
Bard Access Systems Inc. has 55 pending office actions within the Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering technology area. These actions are distributed across 15 distinct art units and involve 48 distinct examiners. This ratio suggests that most examiners are only handling one or two actions for the company at any given time. The 15 distinct art units represent the primary organizational structures through which these 55 actions are processed.
CELESTINE, NYROBI I is the busiest examiner with 2 pending office actions. Given the 55 pending office actions and 48 distinct examiners, the portfolio's prosecution is widely distributed. This lack of examiner concentration means that the influence of any single individual, including CELESTINE, NYROBI I, is minimal. Practitioners must develop strategies that are effective across 15 distinct art units and 48 different examiners.
The Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering technology area is the central focus for all 55 pending office actions. However, the variety of 48 distinct examiners suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach will not be successful. Each of the 55 pending office actions requires a tailored response that considers the specific art unit and examiner involved to navigate the patent office effectively.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 14 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 14 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 + other | 2 (4%) |
| §103 only | 28 (51%) |
| Double-patenting only | 4 (7%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 2 (4%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 18 (33%) |
| No statute on record | 1 (2%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| CELESTINE, NYROBI I | 2 | 81.4% | +23.1% |
| TURKOWSKI, KAYLA MARIE | 2 | 65.8% | +49.2% |
| VOKES, KATHLEEN PAIGE | 2 | 55.1% | +25.9% |
| BUI PHO, PASCAL M | 2 | 63.2% | -18.9% |
| LALONDE, ALEXANDRA ELIZABETH | 2 | 71.1% | +33.0% |
| ALVARADO JR, NELSON LOUIS | 2 | 86.7% | +18.2% |
| PAZ ESTEVEZ, GUILLERMO G | 2 | 21.4% | +5.0% |
| SEBASTIAN, KAITLYN E | 1 | 73.8% | +20.4% |
| TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL | 1 | 88.4% | +7.1% |
| CATTUNGAL, SANJAY | 1 | 83.5% | +11.1% |
Cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate of 80%+ where the difficulty is Easy or Medium. The top 4 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19061593 | Portable Ultrasound Systems and Methods | CELESTINE, NYROBI I | 41d |
| 19254637 | Fiber Optic Medical Systems and Methods for Identifying Blood Vessels | CATTUNGAL, SANJAY | — |
| 18109807 | Skin Nicking Device for Catheter Placement System | ALVARADO JR, NELSON LOUIS | — |
| 18105357 | Skin Nicking Device for Catheter Placement System | ALVARADO JR, NELSON LOUIS | — |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18132261 | Catheter-Disinfecting System and Methods Thereof | ALLEN, ROBERT F | 19d overdue |
| 18136063 | System and Method for Placement of a Central Catheter Tip | CERIONI, DANIEL LEE | 12d |
| 17716675 | Catheter Placement System with Splittable Anchor | GONZALEZ, LEI NMN | 12d |
| 18094760 | UV Integrated Disinfecting Cap | YOO, REGINA M | 22d |
| 18410781 | Catheter Insertion Assemblies, Introducer-Needle Subassemblies, and Methods with Needle-Stick-Injury Protection | SEBASCO CHENG, STEPHANIE | 28d |
| 19290159 | Optimized Functionality Through Interoperation of Doppler and Image Based Vessel Differentiation | CELESTINE, NYROBI I | — |
| 18789564 | System and Method for Imaging Implanted Medical Devices | YANG, YI-SHAN | — |
| 18383814 | Rapidly Insertable Central Catheters Including Catheter Assemblies and Methods Thereof | VOKES, KATHLEEN PAIGE | — |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18098052 | Reinforced Catheter Tips, Catheters, and Methods Thereof | VOKES, KATHLEEN PAIGE | 5d overdue |
| 18081480 | Acute Central Venous Catheter Symmetric Filler | LALONDE, ALEXANDRA ELIZABETH | 33d |
| 19061593 | Portable Ultrasound Systems and Methods | CELESTINE, NYROBI I | 41d |
| 19440091 | Ultrasound Imaging System | SEBASTIAN, KAITLYN E | — |
| 19290159 | Optimized Functionality Through Interoperation of Doppler and Image Based Vessel Differentiation | CELESTINE, NYROBI I | — |
| 19254637 | Fiber Optic Medical Systems and Methods for Identifying Blood Vessels | CATTUNGAL, SANJAY | — |
| 18736357 | Catheters, Catheter Assemblies, and Methods for Mechanically Inhibiting Formation of Occlusions | TURKOWSKI, KAYLA MARIE | — |
| 18383814 | Rapidly Insertable Central Catheters Including Catheter Assemblies and Methods Thereof | VOKES, KATHLEEN PAIGE | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 3783 | 25 |
| 3797 | 5 |
| 3798 | 4 |
| 3791 | 3 |
| 3796 | 2 |
| 3771 | 2 |
| 2876 | 1 |
| 3793 | 1 |
| 3795 | 1 |
| 3741 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19440091 | Ultrasound Imaging System | SEBASTIAN, KAITLYN E | 3797 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 05, 2026 |
| 19356886 | Magnetic Signature Imprinting System | TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL | 2876 | Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 13, 2025 |
| 19290159 | Optimized Functionality Through Interoperation of Doppler and Image Based Vessel Differentiation | CELESTINE, NYROBI I | — | §103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 04, 2025 |
| 19254637 | Fiber Optic Medical Systems and Methods for Identifying Blood Vessels | CATTUNGAL, SANJAY | 3793 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 30, 2025 |
| 19188507 | Ultrasound Imaging System Having Near-Infrared/Infrared Detection | N'DURE, AMIE MERCEDES | — | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 24, 2025 |
| 19188439 | Optical-Fiber Stylet Holders and Methods Thereof | JOHNSON, GERALD | 3797 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 24, 2025 |
| 19061593 | Portable Ultrasound Systems and Methods | CELESTINE, NYROBI I | 3798 | §103 | Final Rejection | 41d | Pending | Feb 24, 2025 |
| 19049986 | Steerable Fiber Optic Shape Sensing Enabled Elongated Medical Instrument | FERNANDEZ, KATHERINE L | 3798 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 10, 2025 |
| 18936320 | Optical Fiber-Based Medical Device Tracking and Monitoring System | KLEIN, BROOKE L | 3797 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 04, 2024 |
| 18932901 | Tactile-Feedback System and Method for Guidewire-Containing Medical Devices | HOFFPAUIR, ANDREW ELI | 3791 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 31, 2024 |
| 18827243 | Fiber Optic Medical Systems and Devices with Atraumatic Tip | BOICE, JAMES EDWARD | 3795 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Sep 06, 2024 |
| 18789564 | System and Method for Imaging Implanted Medical Devices | YANG, YI-SHAN | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 30, 2024 |
| 18736357 | Catheters, Catheter Assemblies, and Methods for Mechanically Inhibiting Formation of Occlusions | TURKOWSKI, KAYLA MARIE | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 06, 2024 |
| 18732555 | Apparatus and Methods to Modulate Stylet Stiffness Profile | NATNITHITHADHA, NAVIN | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 03, 2024 |
| 18410781 | Catheter Insertion Assemblies, Introducer-Needle Subassemblies, and Methods with Needle-Stick-Injury Protection | SEBASCO CHENG, STEPHANIE | 3741 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 28d | Pending | Jan 11, 2024 |
| 18410420 | Puncturing Devices, Puncturing Systems Including the Puncturing Devices, and Methods Thereof | PONTON, JAMES D | 3783 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 11, 2024 |
| 18383814 | Rapidly Insertable Central Catheters Including Catheter Assemblies and Methods Thereof | VOKES, KATHLEEN PAIGE | 3783 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 25, 2023 |
| 18371329 | Systems, Devices, and Methods for Landmarking a Medical Device | KIM, KAITLYN EUNJI | 3797 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 21, 2023 |
| 18369682 | Protective Cap for Landmarking Medical Device | STICE, PAULA J | 3796 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 18, 2023 |
| 18202702 | Catheter Placement Device Including a Mechanical Advantage Mechanism | FARRAR, LAUREN PENG | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 41d | Pending | May 26, 2023 |
| 18195018 | Medical Device Sterilizer and Magnetizer | STOFFA, WYATT A | 2881 | §102§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 09, 2023 |
| 18139237 | System and Method for Monitoring a Vasculature for Sepsis | BUI PHO, PASCAL M | 3798 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 25, 2023 |
| 18136063 | System and Method for Placement of a Central Catheter Tip | CERIONI, DANIEL LEE | 3791 | §101§103§112 | Non-Final OA | 12d | Pending | Apr 18, 2023 |
| 18135353 | Needle Assembly with Fluid Bypassing Stylet | LOPEZ, SEVERO ANTON P | 3791 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 17, 2023 |
| 18132261 | Catheter-Disinfecting System and Methods Thereof | ALLEN, ROBERT F | 3783 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 19d overdue | Pending | Apr 07, 2023 |
| 18123778 | Handheld, Untethered Catheter Containment System and Method | THOMAN, EVELYN ANNE | 3783 | §103 | Final Rejection | 21d | Pending | Mar 20, 2023 |
| 18119239 | Catheter with Adhesion Detection | TRINH, HONG-VAN N | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 08, 2023 |
| 18116232 | Guidewires and Assemblies for Automatic Withdrawal of Stylets and Methods Thereof | LALONDE, ALEXANDRA ELIZABETH | 3783 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Mar 01, 2023 |
| 18109807 | Skin Nicking Device for Catheter Placement System | ALVARADO JR, NELSON LOUIS | 3783 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 14, 2023 |
| 18109103 | Catheter Insertion System | KOO, BENJAMIN K | 3783 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 13, 2023 |
| 18105533 | Intraosseous Hemodialysis Port | PATEL, SHEFALI DILIP | 3783 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 03, 2023 |
| 18105357 | Skin Nicking Device for Catheter Placement System | ALVARADO JR, NELSON LOUIS | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 03, 2023 |
| 18098052 | Reinforced Catheter Tips, Catheters, and Methods Thereof | VOKES, KATHLEEN PAIGE | 3783 | §103 | Final Rejection | 5d overdue | Pending | Jan 17, 2023 |
| 18095968 | Introducer Needles, Catheter Insertion Assemblies, and Methods Thereof | DIOP, FATIMATA SAHRA | 3783 | §103 | Final Rejection | 26d | Pending | Jan 11, 2023 |
| 18094760 | UV Integrated Disinfecting Cap | YOO, REGINA M | 1758 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | 22d | Pending | Jan 09, 2023 |
| 18087699 | U Guide for Scalpel Tip | LE, KHOA TAN | 3771 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 22, 2022 |
| 18082519 | Antimicrobial Skin Isolator for Catheters | GRASMEDER, SARAH DYMPNA | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 15, 2022 |
| 18081480 | Acute Central Venous Catheter Symmetric Filler | LALONDE, ALEXANDRA ELIZABETH | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 33d | Pending | Dec 14, 2022 |
| 18080624 | Monitoring Medical System with UV Exposure | MULLINS, JESSICA LYNN | 3792 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 13, 2022 |
| 18072286 | Extension Leg Securement System | PAZ ESTEVEZ, GUILLERMO G | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 30, 2022 |
| 17971182 | Guidewire Locking System for Catheter Placement | PAZ ESTEVEZ, GUILLERMO G | 3783 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 21, 2022 |
| 17953959 | Insertion Assemblies of Rapidly Insertable Central Catheters and Methods Thereof | BOSWORTH, KAMI A | 3783 | §103 | Final Rejection | 33d | Pending | Sep 27, 2022 |
| 17949734 | Introducer Adapters, Introducer Assemblies, and Methods | WITTLIFF, KATERINA ANNA | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 21, 2022 |
| 17883490 | Introducer Components, Assemblies, and Methods Thereof | CARPENTER, WILLIAM R | 3783 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 08, 2022 |
| 17857974 | Impedance Monitoring Vascular Access Device | ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T | 3797 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jul 05, 2022 |
| 17731155 | Steerable Devices for Fiber Enabled Medical Systems | SMALE, AVERY E | 3783 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 19d overdue | Pending | Apr 27, 2022 |
| 17728802 | Strain-Sensing Systems, Indwelling Medical Devices, and Methods for Determining Physical Attributes | SCHMITT, BENJAMIN ALLYN | 3796 | §103 | Final Rejection | 43d | Pending | Apr 25, 2022 |
| 17716675 | Catheter Placement System with Splittable Anchor | GONZALEZ, LEI NMN | 3783 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 12d | Pending | Apr 08, 2022 |
| 17524455 | Medical Systems and Methods Thereof for Ultrasonic Decomposition of Intraluminal Clots | MCGINNITY, JAMES RYAN | 3771 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Nov 11, 2021 |
| 17499635 | Procedural Barriers with Integrated Medical Device-Connecting Features and Methods Thereof | FISHER, VICTORIA HICKS | 3786 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 12, 2021 |
| 17405692 | Intraosseous Access System To Automatically Detect Medullary Cavity | KAMIKAWA, TRACY L | 3775 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 18, 2021 |
| 17342285 | Catheter with Variable Length Extension Leg | TURKOWSKI, KAYLA MARIE | 3783 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 08, 2021 |
| 17127587 | Needle Sterility Breach Warning Using Magnetic Needle Tracking | BUI PHO, PASCAL M | 3798 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 18, 2020 |
| 17080578 | Rapidly Insertable Central Catheter and Methods Thereof | OSINSKI, BRADLEY JAMES | 3783 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 26, 2020 |
| 17074405 | Rapidly Insertable Central Catheter and Methods Thereof | BRANDT, DAVID NELSON | 3783 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 19, 2020 |
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