Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology area: Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering
186 pending office actions • 28 art units • 141 examiners • 0 of 186 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 254 patents granted in the last 365 days
Medtronic Inc. manages a substantial portfolio within Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering, currently facing 190 pending office actions. This volume is distributed across 145 distinct examiners, suggesting a broad exposure to different examination styles rather than concentration under a few individuals. The work spans 25 distinct art units, indicating a diverse technological footprint within the medical device sector. Such a wide distribution across art units requires a versatile prosecution strategy to account for varying standards of patentability.
LABRANCHE, BROOKE N is the busiest examiner for this portfolio, handling 4 of the 190 pending office actions. The ratio of 190 actions to 145 examiners highlights that most examiners are only reviewing one or two Medtronic applications simultaneously. Practitioners should prepare for varied prosecution timelines given the involvement of 25 different art units. This decentralized examiner base may reduce the impact of any single examiner's tendencies on the overall portfolio, but it also increases the complexity of maintaining consistent arguments across different applications.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 39 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. 39 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 | 6 (3%) |
| §101 + other | 31 (17%) |
| §103 only | 43 (23%) |
| §102 only | 8 (4%) |
| §112 only | 6 (3%) |
| Double-patenting only | 4 (2%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 7 (4%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 81 (44%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PORTER, JR, GARY A | 4 | 68.9% | +25.1% |
| LABRANCHE, BROOKE N | 4 | 72.6% | +16.2% |
| SAHAND, SANA | 3 | 63.4% | +24.0% |
| WALKER, OLIVIA | 3 | 35.7% | +75.0% |
| FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN | 3 | 79.4% | +18.3% |
| TEJANI, ANKIT D | 3 | 81.0% | +16.9% |
| DIETRICH, JOSEPH M | 3 | 81.1% | +8.8% |
| COCHRAN, KARI LEE | 3 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| LEE, ERICA SHENGKAI | 3 | 65.4% | +30.1% |
| BAIG, RUMAISA RASHID | 3 | 36.7% | +32.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18840462 | LEAD EXTRACTION SYSTEM FOR RETAINED LEAD CONNECTORS | TEJANI, ANKIT D | — |
| 18800807 | SENSOR-BASED PHRENIC NERVE STIMULATION DETECTION | DIETRICH, JOSEPH M | — |
| 18784471 | SENSING CARDIAC SIGNALS WITH LEADS IMPLANTED IN EPIDURAL SPACE | TEJANI, ANKIT D | — |
| 18832356 | SYSTEMS FOR TRANSCATHETER VALVE REPLACEMENT AND METHODS | COCHRAN, KARI LEE | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17399344 | APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING CHRONICALLY STABLE ATRIAL SHUNT | RHODES, NORA W | 127d overdue |
| 17799541 | DRUG INFUSION DEVICES COMPATIBLE WITH DRUG FORMULATIONS | PATEL, SHEFALI DILIP | 120d overdue |
| 18358578 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE USING INTERNAL SENSORS TO DETERMINE WHEN TO SWITCH OPERATIONAL MODES | EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT | 59d overdue |
| 18336161 | VISUALIZATION OF ARRHYTHMIA DETECTION BY MACHINE LEARNING | SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY | 44d overdue |
| 17647314 | MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM FOR MONITORING PATIENT HEALTH | MISIASZEK, AMBER ALTSCHUL | 31d overdue |
| 18543910 | POSTURE STATE RESPONSIVE THERAPY DELIVERY USING DWELL TIMES | LEE, ERICA SHENGKAI | 28d overdue |
| 18545899 | STIMULATION MODULATION TO MITIGATE COLLATERAL NERVE RECRUITMENT EFFECTS | KISH, JAMES M | 9d overdue |
| 18667205 | INTERACTIVE CLINICIAN REPORTS FOR MEDICAL DEVICE THERAPY | DIETRICH, JOSEPH M | 1d overdue |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18543910 | POSTURE STATE RESPONSIVE THERAPY DELIVERY USING DWELL TIMES | LEE, ERICA SHENGKAI | 28d overdue |
| 18748478 | LASER ABLATION DEVICE AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME | WALKER, OLIVIA | 23d overdue |
| 18446598 | STIMULATION PATTERNS FOR THERAPY | TEJANI, ANKIT D | 1d overdue |
| 18546564 | PARAMETER SELECTION FOR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION THERAPY | LEE, ERICA SHENGKAI | 12d |
| 18472344 | INCONTINENCE THERAPY SCHEDULING | BAIG, RUMAISA RASHID | 33d |
| 19125050 | MEDICAL DEVICE IMPLANTATION BY PERIOPERATIVE PATIENT EVALUATION PREPARATION | SAHAND, SANA | — |
| 19125008 | LEAD FIXATION ELEMENT FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA | SAHAND, SANA | — |
| 19108334 | ADAPTIVE USER VERIFICATION OF ACUTE HEALTH EVENTS | WALKER, OLIVIA | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 3796 | 47 |
| 3792 | 29 |
| 3774 | 22 |
| 3771 | 20 |
| 3794 | 12 |
| 3791 | 11 |
| 3783 | 9 |
| 3797 | 5 |
| 3682 | 4 |
| 2859 | 3 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19305054 | THORACIC ACCESS TUNNELING TOOL WITH LIGHT EMITTER FOR VISIBILITY | SEBASTIAN, KAITLYN E | 3797 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 20, 2025 |
| 19150400 | PORTABLE ULTRASOUND SYSTEM FOR IMAGE TRIGGERING AND BATTERY CONSUMPTION REDUCTION | ROY, BAISAKHI | 3797 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 23, 2025 |
| 19125050 | MEDICAL DEVICE IMPLANTATION BY PERIOPERATIVE PATIENT EVALUATION PREPARATION | SAHAND, SANA | 3796 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 28, 2025 |
| 19125008 | LEAD FIXATION ELEMENT FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA | SAHAND, SANA | 3796 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 28, 2025 |
| 19191751 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ILLUSTRATING A POSE OF AN OBJECT | SABOKTAKIN, MARJAN | 3797 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 28, 2025 |
| 19123645 | CATHETER SHAFT CONSTRUCTION WITH EXPOSED BRAID AS ELECTRODE(S) | FLANAGAN, BEVERLY MEINDL | 3794 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 23, 2025 |
| 19116074 | ADAPTIVE CARDIAC CONDUCTION SYSTEM PACING THERAPY FOR SINGLE-CHAMBER DEVICES | HODGE, LAURA NICOLE | 3792 | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 27, 2025 |
| 19116079 | ADAPTIVE CARDIAC CONDUCTION SYSTEM PACING THERAPY FOR MULTI-CHAMBER DEVICES | HODGE, LAURA NICOLE | 3792 | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 27, 2025 |
| 19112758 | IMPLANTABLE MENTAL STATE MONITOR | HILSMIER, HEIDI ANN | 3796 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 18, 2025 |
| 19112241 | MEDICAL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING RISK OF A CARDIAC EVENT | LEVICKY, WILLIAM J | 3796 | §101§102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 14, 2025 |
| 19108375 | COMBINED MACHINE LEARNING AND NON-MACHINE LEARNING HEALTH EVENT CLASSIFICATION | RAPILLO, KRISTINE K | 3682 | §101§102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 03, 2025 |
| 19108326 | ACUTE HEALTH EVENT DETECTION DURING DRUG LOADING | SOLOMON, JOSHUA BRENDON | 3682 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 03, 2025 |
| 19108334 | ADAPTIVE USER VERIFICATION OF ACUTE HEALTH EVENTS | WALKER, OLIVIA | 3796 | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 03, 2025 |
| 19108344 | SEGMENT-BASED MACHINE LEARNING MODEL CLASSIFICATION OF HEALTH EVENTS | CHOI, DAVID | 3684 | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 03, 2025 |
| 19062518 | DUAL CHAMBER PACING | LUKJAN, SEBASTIAN X | 3792 | §102§103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 25, 2025 |
| 19106020 | ELECTROCARDIOGRAM-BASED LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION AND EJECTION FRACTION MONITORING | WELCH, HALLE MARGARET | 3796 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 24, 2025 |
| 19105668 | MULTI-MODALITY BALLOON CATHETER INCLUDING LITHOTRIPSY BALLOON | BYRD, BRIGID K | 3771 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 21, 2025 |
| 19057179 | DEFLECTABLE DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR IMPLANT DELIVERY | GEIGER, RACHAEL L | 3771 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 19, 2025 |
| 19049403 | TRIGGERING STORAGE OF ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHS FOR DETECTED PREMATURE VENTRICULAR CONTRACTIONS (PVCS) | ROBLES, EILEEN | 3792 | §103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 10, 2025 |
| 19101724 | ADJUSTABLE ROTATABLE LEAD CONNECTORS | SAHAND, SANA | 3796 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 06, 2025 |
| 19043992 | TOOLS AND ASSEMBLIES THEREOF FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES | JAMIALAHMADI, MAJID | 3771 | §103DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 03, 2025 |
| 19043220 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING CURRENT DRAIN IN A MEDICAL DEVICE | PORTER, JR, GARY A | 3796 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 31, 2025 |
| 19099969 | COMPUTING SYSTEM CONFIGURED TO FACILITATE MULTI-PARTY ADJUDICATION OF CARDIAC EPISODES | MONTICELLO, WILLIAM THOMAS | 3682 | §101§103 | Final Rejection | 22d | Pending | Jan 30, 2025 |
| 19099538 | INTRA-LUMINAL MEDICAL DEVICE WITH EVOKED BIOPOTENTIAL SENSING CAPABILITY | MOSS, JAMES R | 3792 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 29, 2025 |
| 18998776 | NEEDLE FOR IMPLANTATION OF LEAD FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA | WU, TONG E | 3796 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 18998737 | CARDIAC MONITOR DEVICE WITH BIOCOMPATIBLE ELECTRICAL INSULATOR | PORTER, JR, GARY A | 3796 | §102§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 19037650 | EMBOLIC PROTECTION SYSTEM | FISHBACK, ASHLEY LAUREN | 3771 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 19038630 | DETERMINING A RISK OR OCCURRENCE OF HEALTH EVENT RESPONSIVE TO DETERMINATION OF PATIENT PARAMETERS | JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING | 3792 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 18997756 | SYSTEM FOR PLACEMENT OF A MEDICAL DEVICE INCLUDING AN INFLATABLE BALLOON | LABRANCHE, BROOKE N | 3771 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 22, 2025 |
| 18996066 | TRACKING PATIENT CONDITION SYMPTOMS WITH TEMPERATURE AND IMPEDANCE DATA COLLECTED WITH IMPLANTED SENSOR | HUYNH, EMILY | 3683 | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 17, 2025 |
| 18994181 | MINIATURE OPTICAL DEVICE FOR MONITORING LOCAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY | ROBERTS, ANNA L | 3791 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 14, 2025 |
| 19018737 | INTERVENTIONAL MEDICAL DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE | WU, TONG E | 3796 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2025 |
| 19018441 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL LEAD | LUAN, SCOTT | 3792 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2025 |
| 19009430 | FIXATION FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES | STICE, PAULA J | 3796 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 03, 2025 |
| 19007095 | MINIMALLY INVASIVE LEADLESS NEUROSTIMULATION DEVICE | KOWALKOWSKI, FIONA MARGARET | 3792 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 31, 2024 |
| 19002941 | RECHARGE INTERVAL FOR MEDICAL DEVICE | FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN | 3792 | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 27, 2024 |
| 18879530 | INTERVENTIONAL GUIDANCE | FLANAGAN, BEVERLY MEINDL | 3794 | §101§102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 27, 2024 |
| 18982307 | POSTURE-BASED CONTROL OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION THERAPY | STICE, PAULA J | 3796 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 16, 2024 |
| 18873914 | THERAPEUTIC PULSE GENERATORS WITH CRYSTALLINE CAPACITORS | WELCH, WILLOW GRACE | 3792 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 11, 2024 |
| 18871713 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL LEAD IMPLANT TOOL | MARSH, OWEN LEWIS | 3796 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 04, 2024 |
| 18871419 | DELIVERY AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL DEVICE | KHANDKER, RAIHAN R | 3771 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 03, 2024 |
| 18960840 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE | MARLEN, TAMMIE K | 3796 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 26, 2024 |
| 18868819 | MEDICAL LEAD SYSTEM | WELCH, HALLE MARGARET | 3796 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 25, 2024 |
| 18868625 | TACHYARRHYTHMIA DETECTION USING VFA DEVICES | ANTISKAY, BRIAN MICHAEL | 3794 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 22, 2024 |
| 18867754 | FUNNEL CRIMPER WITH TISSUE COMPRESSOR | LOUIS, RICHARD G | 3771 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 20, 2024 |
| 18952366 | COMPACT IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE AND DELIVERY DEVICE | GEDEON, BRIAN T | 3796 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 19, 2024 |
| 18950308 | MEDICAL DEVICE ANCHORING APPARATUS AND PLACEMENT TOOL | LYNCH, ROBERT A | 3771 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18866770 | DELIVERY AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR A MEDICAL DEVICE | GABR, MOHAMED GAMIL | 3771 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18948243 | SELECTIVE INCLUSION OF IMPEDANCE IN DEVICE-BASED DETECTION OF SLEEP APNEA | SIRCAR, ALISHA JITENDRA | 3792 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 14, 2024 |
| 18943784 | INPUT SWITCHING IN A VENTRICULAR INTRACARDIAC PACEMAKER | FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN | 3792 | §102DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 11, 2024 |
IP Author helps IP teams respond to office actions faster with AI-generated responses, examiner analytics, and prosecution intelligence.
Start Free TrialMedtronic Inc. has 186 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 28 art units and 141 examiners.
Jr, Gary A Porter has the most, with 4 of Medtronic Inc.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering (USPTO Tech Center 3700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.