Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology area: Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering
164 pending office actions • 23 art units • 125 examiners • 0 of 164 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 290 patents granted in the last 365 days
Covidien L.P. is managing 166 pending office actions in the Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering technology area. These actions are concentrated within 22 distinct art units, suggesting a strong focus on specific medical technologies. The portfolio involves 126 distinct examiners, which indicates that many examiners are handling multiple matters for the company.
CLARK, RYAN T is the busiest examiner, with 6 pending office actions. This concentration is notable but still represents a small portion of the 166 total pending actions. With 126 distinct examiners and 22 distinct art units, the company must maintain a consistent prosecution strategy across a large group of USPTO personnel.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 44 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. 44 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 only | 1 (1%) |
| §101 + other | 11 (7%) |
| §103 only | 63 (38%) |
| §102 only | 13 (8%) |
| §112 only | 1 (1%) |
| Double-patenting only | 5 (3%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 6 (4%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 64 (39%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLARK, RYAN T | 6 | 50.4% | +18.2% |
| LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 5 | 72.2% | +20.3% |
| POLAND, CHERIE MICHELLE | 5 | 59.6% | +33.3% |
| OUYANG, BO | 4 | 60.5% | +9.1% |
| CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C | 3 | 84.8% | +11.0% |
| COLLINS, SEAN W | 3 | 74.5% | +26.6% |
| FOWLER, DANIEL WAYNE | 3 | 72.7% | +12.4% |
| RUSSELL, SYDNEY REYES | 3 | 52.8% | +58.3% |
| JOHNSON, KYLE T | 2 | 85.3% | +15.2% |
| BYRD, BRIGID K | 2 | 71.4% | +46.4% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19478906 | ADAPTER ASSEMBLIES FOR SURGICAL DEVICE | CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C | — |
| 19168380 | SURGICAL STAPLING APPARATUS WITH LOCKOUT ASSEMBLIES | CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C | — |
| 19281956 | REAL TIME MONITORING OF A ROBOTIC DRIVE MODULE | JOHNSON, KYLE T | — |
| 19269256 | ROBOTIC SURGICAL COLLISION DETECTION SYSTEMS | JOHNSON, KYLE T | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18192273 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MISSED BREATH DETECTION AND INDICATION | AGAHI, PUYA | 156d overdue |
| 17299869 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING CABLE DRIVEN END EFFECTORS | BAIG, RUMAISA RASHID | 37d overdue |
| 18923876 | UTERINE MANIPULATOR INCLUDING POSITION SENSOR | TANNER, JOCELIN C | 19d overdue |
| 18877132 | REAL-TIME STAPLING TISSUE PERFUSION ASSESSMENT | MATTSON, SEAN D | 15d overdue |
| 18215973 | TISSUE RESECTION SYSTEMS INCLUDING FLUID OUTFLOW MANAGEMENT | NGO, MEAGAN N | 9d overdue |
| 18275802 | GUIDEWIRES AND METHODS OF DEPLOYMENT THEREOF | ABOUELELA, MAY A | 5d |
| 18347667 | PHRENIC NERVE INTEGRITY AND RAMPED-UP BURST | TU, AURELIE H | 8d |
| 18117691 | SURGICAL END EFFECTORS | POLAND, CHERIE MICHELLE | 12d |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18023799 | THERMAL CUTTING ELEMENTS, ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING THERMAL CUTTING ELEMENTS, AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING | FOWLER, DANIEL WAYNE | 11d overdue |
| 19076558 | HAND-HELD SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 9d overdue |
| 18117691 | SURGICAL END EFFECTORS | POLAND, CHERIE MICHELLE | 12d |
| 17914300 | SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS INCORPORATING ULTRASONIC AND ELECTROSURGICAL FUNCTIONALITY | CLARK, RYAN T | 14d |
| 18281949 | ROBOTIC REMOTE CENTER OF MOTION WITH ACTIVE PORTAL/TROCAR MANIPULATION | POLAND, CHERIE MICHELLE | 16d |
| 18274756 | MULTI-FUNCTION ERGONOMIC HANDHELD SURGICAL INSTRUMENT AND SYSTEM | COLLINS, SEAN W | 27d |
| 18856325 | COMPRESSION ANASTOMOSIS RINGS WITH ADJUSTABLE COMPRESSION PROFILE | BYRD, BRIGID K | 28d |
| 19087802 | POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS OF IDENTIFYING TISSUE TYPES THEREWITH | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 34d |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 3771 | 21 |
| 3794 | 21 |
| 3731 | 15 |
| 3791 | 10 |
| 3795 | 7 |
| 3797 | 6 |
| 3798 | 6 |
| 3785 | 6 |
| 3796 | 5 |
| 3792 | 4 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19549399 | HEAT SEALER GUIDE MOUNT | RUSHING-TUCKER, CHINYERE J | 3731 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 25, 2026 |
| 19478944 | SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICE WITH ARTICULATING TOOL ASSEMBLY | IMAM, TANZIM | 3731 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 27, 2025 |
| 19478906 | ADAPTER ASSEMBLIES FOR SURGICAL DEVICE | CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C | 3731 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 27, 2025 |
| 19168380 | SURGICAL STAPLING APPARATUS WITH LOCKOUT ASSEMBLIES | CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C | 3731 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 24, 2025 |
| 19162434 | STAPLE CARTRIDGE WITH MOVABLE KNIFE | CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C | 3731 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 05, 2025 |
| 19162428 | STAPLING DEVICE WITH FIRING LOCKOUT ASSEMBLY | PALMER, LUCAS E A | 3731 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 05, 2025 |
| 19281956 | REAL TIME MONITORING OF A ROBOTIC DRIVE MODULE | JOHNSON, KYLE T | — | §112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 28, 2025 |
| 19280425 | HYSTEROSCOPIC SYSTEM | FAIRCHILD, AARON BENJAMIN | — | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 25, 2025 |
| 19270708 | SURGICAL STAPLER WITH UNIVERSAL TIP RELOAD | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 3731 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jul 16, 2025 |
| 19269256 | ROBOTIC SURGICAL COLLISION DETECTION SYSTEMS | JOHNSON, KYLE T | — | §112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 15, 2025 |
| 19258121 | JAW DRIVE ARM FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATING THE SAME | BYRD, BRIGID K | — | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 02, 2025 |
| 19242494 | THROMBUS REMOVAL DEVICE | MCGINNITY, JAMES RYAN | 3771 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 18, 2025 |
| 19242592 | INJECTABLE BIOPOLYMER COMPOSITIONS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS | BECKHARDT, LYNDSEY MARIE | 1613 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 18, 2025 |
| 19135491 | INTEGRATED ELECTROSURGICAL SMOKE EVACUATION SYSTEM | TURCHEN, ROCHELLE DEANNA | 3797 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 04, 2025 |
| 19213082 | HANDHELD ELECTROMECHANICAL SURGICAL SYSTEM | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 3731 | §103Other | Final Rejection | 84d | Pending | May 20, 2025 |
| 19189488 | GUIDEWIRE SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE | NGUYEN, VI X | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 13, 2025 |
| 19201760 | INTEGRATION OF MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES FOR LOCALIZATION AND NAVIGATION | LANGHALS, RENEE C | 3797 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 07, 2025 |
| 19189431 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESTORING BLOOD VESSEL PATENCY | LABRANCHE, BROOKE N | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 25, 2025 |
| 19116554 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF MOVING A MEDICAL TOOL WITH A TARGET IN A VISUALIZATION OR ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR HIGHER YIELDS | NGUYEN, HIEN NGOC | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 28, 2025 |
| 19087802 | POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS OF IDENTIFYING TISSUE TYPES THEREWITH | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 3731 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 34d | Pending | Mar 24, 2025 |
| 19085981 | CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY INTEGRATION FOR CREATING A NAVIGATION PATHWAY TO A TARGET IN THE LUNG AND METHOD OF NAVIGATING TO THE TARGET | SONG, HOON K | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 20, 2025 |
| 19076558 | HAND-HELD SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 3731 | DP | Final Rejection | 9d overdue | Pending | Mar 11, 2025 |
| 19070997 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TREATING ANEURYSMS | LYNCH, ROBERT A | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 05, 2025 |
| 19053802 | METHODS FOR OPEN DISSECTION USING SEALING INSTRUMENT | SHOULDERS, ANNIE LEE | — | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 14, 2025 |
| 19052460 | SURGICAL ACCESS DEVICE HAVING A BALLOON AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME | YI, STELLA KIM | — | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 13, 2025 |
| 19053129 | ASPIRATION CATHETER HAVING DISTAL SIDEWALL OPENING | POLAND, CHERIE MICHELLE | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 13, 2025 |
| 19040623 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR TREATMENT OF INTRACRANIAL ANEURYSMS | SHI, KATHERINE MENGLIN | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 29, 2025 |
| 19099111 | Handheld Electromechanical Surgical System With Low Tissue Compression Indiction | WITTENSCHLAEGER, THOMAS M | 3731 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 28, 2025 |
| 19036684 | UNIVERSAL SURGICAL FOOTSWITCH TOGGLING | COLLINS, SEAN W | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 24, 2025 |
| 19033658 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ABLATION VISUALIZATION | POPESCU, GABRIEL VICTOR | 3797 | §102§103§112Other | Final Rejection | 55d | Pending | Jan 22, 2025 |
| 19025436 | ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH COOLING SYSTEM | FISHBACK, ASHLEY LAUREN | 3771 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 16, 2025 |
| 19021930 | TRANSESOPHAGEAL VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION DEVICEPOSITIONING USING SENSED PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS | MULLINS, JESSICA LYNN | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 15, 2025 |
| 19014666 | DRIVE MECHANISMS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS | PAPE, ALYSSA MORGAN | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 09, 2025 |
| 19014837 | INDEPENDENT CONTROL OF DUAL RF ELECTROSURGERY | GUERRERO ROSARIO, ANA VERUSKA | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 09, 2025 |
| 19013287 | INFLOW AND OUTFLOW CONTROL OF A CLOSED COOLING SYSTEM | HUPCZEY, JR, RONALD JAMES | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 08, 2025 |
| 18877759 | STAPLE CARTRIDGE WITH KNIFE | HODGE, LINDA J | 3731 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 20, 2024 |
| 18877132 | REAL-TIME STAPLING TISSUE PERFUSION ASSESSMENT | MATTSON, SEAN D | 3798 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 15d overdue | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18875852 | SURGICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING A PLURALITY OF CONCURRENT COLONOSCOPIES | CAREY, MICHAEL JAMES | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 17, 2024 |
| 18980695 | ENERGY DISCONNECT FOR ROBOTIC SURGICAL ASSEMBLIES | FOWLER, DANIEL WAYNE | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 13, 2024 |
| 18967240 | ENERGY DELIVERY DEVICE AND METHODS OF USE | ASGHAR, AMINAH | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 03, 2024 |
| 18962485 | STROKE DETECTION | YANG, YI-SHAN | 3798 | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | 14d | Pending | Nov 27, 2024 |
| 18956094 | MICROWAVE ENERGY-DELIVERY DEVICE AND SYSTEM | KERN, ASHLEIGH LAUREN | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 22, 2024 |
| 18947767 | SURGICAL SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR TREATING TISSUE | CLARK, RYAN T | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 14, 2024 |
| 18946662 | DRIVE ROD AND KNIFE BLADE FOR AN ARTICULATING SURGICAL INSTRUMENT | GABR, MOHAMED GAMIL | 3771 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Nov 13, 2024 |
| 18940435 | SLOW SPEED STAPLE AND STAPLE RELAXATION FOR STAPLING OPTIMIZATION | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 3731 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 07, 2024 |
| 18931673 | ELECTRICALLY ENHANCED RETRIEVAL OF MATERIAL FROM VESSEL LUMENS | RESTAINO, ANDREW PETER | 3771 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 78d | Pending | Oct 30, 2024 |
| 18929053 | NON-STICK COATED ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME | PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F | — | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 28, 2024 |
| 18926460 | STENT WITH STRUTS DEFINING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OFFSET APICES | STEWART, ALVIN J | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 25, 2024 |
| 18926862 | SENSORS WITH ADHESIVE REGIONS | KIM, SAMUEL CHONG | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 25, 2024 |
| 18859328 | SURGICAL SYSTEM INCLUDING A CORDLESS SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, COMMUNICATION HUB, AND ONE OR MORE CONNECTED DEVICES | POLAND, CHERIE MICHELLE | 3771 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 23, 2024 |
IP Author helps IP teams respond to office actions faster with AI-generated responses, examiner analytics, and prosecution intelligence.
Start Free TrialCovidien L.P. has 164 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 23 art units and 125 examiners.
Ryan T Clark has the most, with 6 of Covidien L.P.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering (USPTO Tech Center 3700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.