Technology areas: Chemistry & Materials • Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering
60 pending office actions • 3 clients • 49 examiners • 24 art units • 0 of 60 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 153 patents granted in the last 365 days
Harness, Dickey & Pierce-Altria has 64 pending office actions in Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering. The profile is tied to 95,280 career applications, giving the active Altria-related record the context of a broad historical application base.
The resolved allowance rate is 87.62%, and resolved applications averaged 3.17 office actions per allowance. These figures provide outcome and examination-workload measures for the recorded prosecution history.
The active docket and technology designation make this profile relevant for medical-device and mechanical portfolios. Practitioners should treat the career figures as firm-level profile data, because the record does not further identify the portion attributable to this client-specific entry.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 15 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. 15 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 (3%) |
| §103 only | 26 (43%) |
| §102 only | 1 (2%) |
| §112 only | 1 (2%) |
| Double-patenting only | 4 (7%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 9 (15%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 15 (25%) |
| No statute on record | 2 (3%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPARKS, RUSSELL E | 3 | 64.1% | +14.0% |
| FELTON, MICHAEL J | 3 | 59.6% | +14.5% |
| TRAVERS, MATTHEW P | 2 | 63.3% | +43.3% |
| NGUYEN, SONNY V | 2 | 36.7% | +24.8% |
| TRAN, THIEN S | 2 | 71.9% | +24.0% |
| YAARY, ERIC | 2 | 73.8% | +2.5% |
| DODSON, JUSTIN C | 2 | 46.7% | +36.1% |
| BELYAEV, YANA | 2 | 58.3% | +31.5% |
| SAMUELS, LAWRENCE H | 2 | 56.3% | +37.4% |
| WITTENSCHLAEGER, THOMAS M | 1 | 71.6% | +11.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18808394 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR VALIDATING ENCODED INFORMATION | HAYLES, ASHFORD S | 25d overdue |
| 17525815 | COMPOSITIONS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR NICOTINE AEROSOL DELIVERY | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 9d |
| 18620414 | SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING A LIQUID AEROSOL | VO, TU A | 40d |
| 18959984 | CONTAINER WITH FLEXIBLE WALL LOCKING MECHANISM | PAL, PRINCE | 42d |
| 18669148 | METHOD OF MAKING AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE WITH POROUS BODY AND AEROSOL-FORMING SUBSTRATE | TRAN, THIEN S | 60d |
| 19307283 | METHOD OF FORMING ASSEMBLED PACKAGE WITH FIRST RIDGE OF FIRST TRAY FORMING PART OF OUTER SURFACE OF ASSEMBLED PACKAGE | WITTENSCHLAEGER, THOMAS M | — |
| 18975172 | BEAD FEED UNIT AND METHOD | KUMAR, RAKESH | — |
| 18971770 | INSERT WITH BASE AND UPPER BRIM | ORTIZ, RAFAEL ALFREDO | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17672882 | CIGARETTES AND CIGARETTE FILTERS INCLUDING ACTIVATED CARBON FOR REMOVING NITRIC OXIDE | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 162d overdue |
| 18409059 | SMOKING ARTICLE USING A CONTINUOUS STRUCTURE OF AN ENCAPSULATED MATERIAL | NGUYEN, SONNY V | 45d overdue |
| 17525815 | COMPOSITIONS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR NICOTINE AEROSOL DELIVERY | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 9d |
| 18669148 | METHOD OF MAKING AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE WITH POROUS BODY AND AEROSOL-FORMING SUBSTRATE | TRAN, THIEN S | 60d |
| 18306368 | HEAT-NOT-BURN DEVICE AND FLAVOR CARRIER | BELYAEV, YANA | 70d |
| 19307283 | METHOD OF FORMING ASSEMBLED PACKAGE WITH FIRST RIDGE OF FIRST TRAY FORMING PART OF OUTER SURFACE OF ASSEMBLED PACKAGE | WITTENSCHLAEGER, THOMAS M | — |
| 19280597 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A HEATER ASSEMBLY FOR A NICOTINE POD ASSEMBLY | TRAVERS, MATTHEW P | — |
| 19273799 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A HEATER ASSEMBLY FOR A NON-NICOTINE POD ASSEMBLY | TRAVERS, MATTHEW P | — |
| Client (Assignee) | Pending OAs |
|---|---|
| Altria | 52 |
| Philip Morris | 7 |
| NJOY, LLC | 1 |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 3761 | 14 |
| 1747 | 9 |
| 1755 | 9 |
| 3731 | 4 |
| 3725 | 2 |
| 3735 | 2 |
| 1615 | 2 |
| 3651 | 1 |
| 3736 | 1 |
| 3629 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Client | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19307283 | METHOD OF FORMING ASSEMBLED PACKAGE WITH FIRST RIDGE OF FIRST TRAY FORMING PART OF OUTER SURFACE OF ASSEMBLED PACKAGE | Altria Client Services LLC | WITTENSCHLAEGER, THOMAS M | 3731 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 22, 2025 |
| 19280597 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A HEATER ASSEMBLY FOR A NICOTINE POD ASSEMBLY | Altria Client Services LLC | TRAVERS, MATTHEW P | 3725 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 25, 2025 |
| 19273799 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A HEATER ASSEMBLY FOR A NON-NICOTINE POD ASSEMBLY | Altria Client Services LLC | TRAVERS, MATTHEW P | 3725 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 18, 2025 |
| 18975172 | BEAD FEED UNIT AND METHOD | Altria Client Services LLC | KUMAR, RAKESH | 3651 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 10, 2024 |
| 18973711 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PACKAGING LOOSE PRODUCT | Altria Client Services LLC | FERRERO, EDUARDO R | 3731 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 09, 2024 |
| 18971770 | INSERT WITH BASE AND UPPER BRIM | Altria Client Services LLC | ORTIZ, RAFAEL ALFREDO | 3736 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 06, 2024 |
| 18968285 | METHODS AND PRODUCTS FOR PRODUCT TRACING AND AUTHENTICATION USING CONDUCTIVE INKS | Altria Client Services LLC | OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P | 3629 | §102§103Other | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 04, 2024 |
| 18959984 | CONTAINER WITH FLEXIBLE WALL LOCKING MECHANISM | Altria Client Services LLC | PAL, PRINCE | 3735 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 42d | Pending | Nov 26, 2024 |
| 18813927 | AIR INTAKE ASSEMBLY | Altria Client Services LLC | KESSIE, JENNIFER A | 1747 | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 23, 2024 |
| 18808394 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR VALIDATING ENCODED INFORMATION | Altria Client Services LLC | HAYLES, ASHFORD S | 3627 | §101§102§103Other | Final Rejection | 25d overdue | Pending | Aug 19, 2024 |
| 18808598 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORAGE OF DATA FOR MANUFACTURED ITEMS | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | KHATRI, NILESH B | 3699 | §101§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 19, 2024 |
| 18799358 | AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEMS WITH USAGE DETERMINATION | Altria Client Services LLC | ROSARIO-APONTE, ALBA T | 3761 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 09, 2024 |
| 18782556 | CARTRIDGE WITH FIRST TUBE AND DILUTION AIR PASSAGE INTERSECTING AIR PASSAGE | Altria Client Services LLC | NGUYEN, THANG H | 2831 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 24, 2024 |
| 18782164 | E-VAPOR DEVICES INCLUDING PRE-SEALED CARTRIDGES | Altria Client Services LLC | NGUYEN, SONNY V | 1755 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 24, 2024 |
| 18765654 | METHOD OF MAKING NICOTINE E-VAPING SECTION WITH AIR PASSAGE FOR ALLOWING AIRFLOW TO ENTER RESERVOIR | Altria Client Services LLC | SPARKS, RUSSELL E | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 08, 2024 | |
| 18757732 | AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEM COMPRISING A VIBRATABLE ELEMENT | Altria Client Services LLC | TRAN, TIFFANY T | 3761 | §103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2024 |
| 18750207 | METHOD OF FORMING POUCH BY ADHERING OXYGEN SCAVENGER TO POUCH MATERIAL | Altria Client Services LLC | IGBOKWE, NICHOLAS E | 3731 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 21, 2024 |
| 18743548 | ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE | Altria Client Services LLC | DELACRUZ, MADELEINE PAULINA | 1747 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18731897 | ASSEMBLY WITH CAPILLARY MEDIUM DEFINING DUCT THAT ABUTS SURFACE OF AIR IMPINGEMENT STRUCTURE | Altria Client Services LLC | TRAN, THIEN S | 3761 | §103DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 03, 2024 |
| 18669148 | METHOD OF MAKING AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE WITH POROUS BODY AND AEROSOL-FORMING SUBSTRATE | Altria Client Services LLC | TRAN, THIEN S | 3761 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 60d | Pending | May 20, 2024 |
| 18648926 | FLUID PERMEABLE HEATER ASSEMBLY AND CARTRIDGE FOR AN AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEM | Altria Client Services LLC | WILL, KATHERINE A | 1747 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 29, 2024 |
| 18625427 | ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE | Altria Client Services LLC | PAUDEL, PRADEEP | 1749 | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 03, 2024 |
| 18620414 | SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING A LIQUID AEROSOL | Altria Client Services LLC | VO, TU A | 3785 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 40d | Pending | Mar 28, 2024 |
| 18591698 | HEATER AND WICK ASSEMBLY FOR AN AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM | Altria Client Services LLC | CAMPBELL, THOR S | 3761 | §102DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 29, 2024 |
| 18588258 | AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEM | Altria Client Services LLC | TANINGCO, MARCUS H | 2884 | DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 27, 2024 |
| 18444135 | MOBILE MULTI-FEATURE PRODUCT AUTHENTICATION | Altria Client Services LLC | AZARIAN, SEYED H | 2675 | §102 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 16, 2024 |
| 18432352 | SMOKING ARTICLE FILTER WITH FLAVORANT DELIVERY SYSTEM | Altria Client Services LLC | YAARY, ERIC | 1755 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 05, 2024 |
| 18409059 | SMOKING ARTICLE USING A CONTINUOUS STRUCTURE OF AN ENCAPSULATED MATERIAL | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | NGUYEN, SONNY V | 1755 | DP | Final Rejection | 45d overdue | Pending | Jan 10, 2024 |
| 18396145 | METHOD OF MAKING E-VAPING DEVICE WITH FIRST-SHAPED CAVITY AND SECOND-SHAPED CAVITY | Altria Client Services LLC | CHABREYRIE, RODOLPHE ANDRE | 3761 | §102§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 26, 2023 |
| 18538654 | SUSCEPTOR FOR USE WITH AN INDUCTIVELY HEATED AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE OR SYSTEM | Altria Client Services LLC | DODSON, JUSTIN C | 3761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 13, 2023 |
| 18519351 | BEAD FEEDER | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN | 3731 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 27, 2023 |
| 18480639 | COMPRESSIBLE ROD FOR AN AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE | Altria Client Services LLC | GRAY, LINDA LAMEY | 1745 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 04, 2023 |
| 18467173 | BANDED PAPERS, SMOKING ARTICLES AND METHODS | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | MAYES, DIONNE WALLS | 1747 | §103Other | Final Rejection | 22d overdue | Pending | Sep 14, 2023 |
| 18466420 | E-VAPOR DEVICE INCLUDING PUNCTURE DEVICE AND SEALED PACKET OF PRE-VAPOR FORMULATION | Altria Client Services LLC | SPARKS, RUSSELL E | 1755 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 13, 2023 |
| 18456763 | CHEWABLE DISSOLVABLE NICOTINE TABLET | Altria Client Services LLC | TCHERKASSKAYA, OLGA V | 1615 | §103§112DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 28, 2023 |
| 18348529 | METHOD FOR OPERATING DEVICE USING MULTI-STAGE HEATING | Altria Client Services LLC | DODSON, JUSTIN C | 3761 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jul 07, 2023 |
| 18335561 | SOFT, CHEWABLE AND ORALLY DISSOLVABLE AND/OR DISINTEGRABLE PRODUCTS | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | KOSAR, AARON J | 1655 | Other | Non-Final OA | 17d overdue | Pending | Jun 15, 2023 |
| 18328146 | LOW IGNITION PROPENSITY CIGARETTE PAPER AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF | Altria Client Services LLC | YAARY, ERIC | 1755 | §103 | Final Rejection | 6d | Pending | Jun 02, 2023 |
| 18318196 | AEROSOL-GENERATING SYSTEM WITH ELECTRODES | Altria Client Services LLC | RALIS, STEPHEN J | 3992 | Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 16, 2023 |
| 18306368 | HEAT-NOT-BURN DEVICE AND FLAVOR CARRIER | Altria Client Services LLC | BELYAEV, YANA | 1755 | §103 | Final Rejection | 70d | Pending | Apr 25, 2023 |
| 18303563 | METHOD FOR MEASURING A VAPOR PRECURSOR LEVEL IN A CARTOMIZER OF AN ELECTRONIC VAPING DEVICE AND/OR AN ELECTRONIC VAPING DEVICE CONFIGURED TO PERFORM THE METHOD | Altria Client Services LLC | TRAN-LE, THAO UYEN | 3761 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 19, 2023 |
| 18178838 | CARTRIDGE WITH A CAPACITY SENSOR | Altria Client Services LLC | SAMUELS, LAWRENCE H | 3761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 06, 2023 |
| 18053149 | ELECTRICAL CONTACT PADS WITH SURFACE DISCONTINUITIES AND POWER-RECEIVING UNITS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES INCLUDING THE SAME | Altria Client Services LLC | LOPEZ PAGAN, CARLOS EMILIO | 2834 | §103 | Final Rejection | 9d overdue | Pending | Nov 07, 2022 |
| 17982138 | HEAT-NOT-BURN (HNB) AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICES AND CAPSULES HAVING ELECTRICAL CONTACT PADS WITH SURFACE DISCONTINUITIES | Altria Client Services LLC | MOORE, STEPHANIE LYNN | 1747 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 07, 2022 |
| 17947436 | HEAT-NOT-BURN (HNB) AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICES AND CAPSULES | Altria Client Services LLC | DIYAN, OLUWATOSIN OLUWATUMININ | 1755 | §103 | Final Rejection | 35d overdue | Pending | Sep 19, 2022 |
| 17947345 | POWER CONTROL SYSTEM | Altria Client Services LLC | KHLOK, BONITA | 3761 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Sep 19, 2022 |
| 17939428 | LABEL FOR PACK | Altria Client Services LLC | NORDMEYER, PATRICIA L | 1788 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | 41d | Pending | Sep 07, 2022 |
| 17847676 | METHODS AND MACHINES FOR POUCHING SMOKELESS TOBACCO AND TOBACCO SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS | Altria Client Services LLC | CULBERT, COURTNEY GUENTHER | 1747 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 23, 2022 |
| 17672882 | CIGARETTES AND CIGARETTE FILTERS INCLUDING ACTIVATED CARBON FOR REMOVING NITRIC OXIDE | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 1747 | §103 | Final Rejection | 162d overdue | Pending | Feb 16, 2022 |
| 17551745 | COLLOIDAL PLANT POWDER/EXTRACT ENCAPSULATION WITH PECTIN-PROTEIN COACERVATE GELS | Philip Morris Usa Inc. | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 1747 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 15, 2021 |
IP Author helps law firms respond to office actions faster with AI-generated responses, examiner analytics, and prosecution intelligence.
Start Free Trial87.6% of resolved applications prosecuted by Harness, Dickey & Pierce-Altria were allowed, across 95,280 applications in USPTO records.
3.17 office actions per allowed application on average.
60 pending office actions as of October 2026, for 3 clients, before 49 examiners in 24 art units.
